It had been a really long day, at the end of a really long week. We were in the middle of infantry officers’ training course and we had spent the week learning and practicing maneuvers in the … more

Do we really appreciate all the gifts we have, and how blessed we are even with all the challenges life gives us? Eighteen years ago this Shabbat (20 Av 5761, Aug. 9, 2001), an Arab terrorist … more

This week’s parsha, Shelach, contains one of the most challenging stories in the entire Torah: the story of the spies. It’s an incredible moment in Jewish history. With the … more

The sport of rapelling (or sneppling, as it is known in Israel), is the art of  descending from a cliff by sliding down a rope which is sunken into the mountain above with stakes.  … more

Some time ago I had the privilege of meeting a World War II veteran with a fascinating story to share: Born in Germany, his parents saw the writing on the wall and he was sent to boarding school … more

Raymond Smullyan, in his book “5000 BC and Other Philosophical Fantasies,” posits the question of two identical twin brothers, one who always lies and the other who always tells the … more

Ten years ago this week, on the 20th of Av (Aug. 9 2001) at 2pm, I was sitting in the back of the Sbarro’s Pizzeria in Jerusalem when a suicide bomber walked in and detonated the bomb belt he was wearing, murdering 15 innocent people and injuring scores of others. more

Wars begin with words, with rantings by madmen and absolute declarations of intolerance. But so many other experiences also begin with words; love is watered with words; forgiveness, hope, prayers and peace, all are grown with words. This week, one woman’s words touched my heart as she has touched the hearts of an entire nation here in Israel. more

How important is it for us to comprehend all that we do? Where lies the balance between pure faith and our need to understand? This week’s parsha, Chukat, provides the ultimate example of … more

There is a mystical idea which suggests that hidden within every fire of destruction is the spark of redemption. Such, for example, was the case on Aug. 3, 1492, which was also the Ninth of … more