NCSY estimates 15 more years to reach Jewish high schoolers By Michelle Bortnik Issue of October 16 2009/ 29 Tishrei 5770 Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone, regional director of New York NCSY, was … more

By Michael Orbach Issue of April 30, 2010/ 16 Iyar, 5770 The chill in the air this week was perfectly timed. Nothing would seem to complement the annual Lawrence School Board election better … more

By Mayer Fertig Issue of August 20, 2010/ 10 Elul 5770 In communal organizations dominated by the senior set it can be difficult for members of the younger generation to get a word in edgewise. … more

Not that anyone is counting, but this is my 180th article for this fine newspaper. In article 88, I described a wedding I attended in Williamsburg. When I went out to make a phone call, I observed a … more

There are seven instances in the Torah when a tally of army-aged males is given to us. Twice they are rounded to “600,000 foot soldiers” (Shmot 12:37 and Bamidbar 11:21). more

In what will be one of this season’s most popular commentaries, Rabbi Moshe Weinberger of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere has written a translation of Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook’s “Orot Teshuvah.” Entitled “Song of Teshuvah Volume One” [Penina – Urim Press, 2011] this new work is the result of over seven years of a shiur that Rabbi Weinberger gave on Friday mornings at his shul. more

Considering that America was the home of the cocoa bean, chocolate arrived relatively late to the American colonies, in about 1775. Not long after in 1765, Dr. James Baker and John Hannon set up a chocolate factory. It is claimed to be the first chocolate factory in the United States.  Today it is known as Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate. more

About 310,000 Americans die every year from cardiac arrest at home or in a public place. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one of a series of steps recommended by the American Heart Association in the “chain of survival” that when followed give a victim the greatest chance of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest. more

This week’s review will focus on a very interesting anthology of rabbinic insights and practical advice for daily living. It was compiled by a Woodmere native, born and bred on the South Shore. more

On Nov. 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Lincoln Center in New York City. Anyone who has ever been to a Perlman concert, knows that getting on stage is no small achievement for him, having been stricken with polio as a child, with braces on both legs and walking with the aid of two crutches. more