Teaching in the old city of Jerusalem, one develops awareness for the different types of people that can wander in off the street. Many of the people who frequent the old alleyways of Jerusalem are incredible people with incredible stories. We once had a fellow wander in who was absolutely convinced that he was King David. more

Court: A place and a system any healthy society needs, but no one really wants to visit. Just like a judge: Someone you want as a friend, but not someone you want to meet at work all too often. A date in court is not something most people look forward to, and the feelings such a visit generates range from frustration and trepidation, all the way to outright fear and terror. more

In 1925, the American Astronomer Edwin Hubble demonstrated (as an extension of Vesto Slipher’s discovery in 1918) that the universe was not static, it was expanding: every galaxy in the … more

I remember, as a high school student, hearing our rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, relate one of the questions he used to ask when interviewing prospective rebbeim for our high … more

Issue of Dec. 12 2008 / 15 Kislev 5769 Cedarhurst - Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi (The Red Shul) will resume a weekly late night seder each Thursday night in the shul at 395 Oakland Avenue, running … more

Never, as long as I live, will I forget that moment, when the sounds of children’s laughter on a beautiful, peaceful Jerusalem afternoon were shattered by the screams of terror and agony that are the music for the dance of the suicide bomber. more

I can still remember the feeling of the weight seeming to lift from my shoulders. It was the summer of ‘86, and I had just returned my gear after four-and-a-half years in the Israeli army. I will never forget the incredible high that lifted my spirits as I realized that for the first time in years, I could do whatever I wanted, without that nagging worry deep inside that I might get a call in the middle of the night. No more patrols or forced marches, guard duty or inspections, no missions to coordinate or briefings to prepare, and no tanks to service and make ready, nor men to cover or train. After four long years I could finally get back to just being me. more

I once met a fellow who was born in Germany, but managed to get out in 1938, in the nick of time. Some people don’t think of such a person as a survivor in the same way as someone who survived … more

I still don’t know how he made it into Infantry Officer’s course, but I do know how difficult it was for him. Overweight, and far from being an athlete, the physical challenges he … more

There is war, and then there is madness. In war, one often has to fight, but when madness sets in, sometimes  one simply has to run. Such was the question on a dark October afternoon in 1973, … more