The Roman Emperor Hadrian was determined to rebuild Yerushalayim, not as a city holy to the Jewish people, but rather as a pagan city named Aeolina Capitalina. He re-issued the harsh decrees that Antiochus, the Syrian/Greek had imposed approximately two hundred years before, hoping to extinguish both the Jewish religion and the yearning of the Jewish people for independence from the oppressive Roman yoke. more

Muscle, sheer drive, rigorous training, stamina and the thrill of the course are coming together again this August 8th and 9th for the Third Annual Bike4Chai two day ride from the Jersey Shore into the cheering, appreciative crowd of campers at Camp Simcha Special in Glen Spey, New York. more

Twelve teens from the Five Towns in Israel this summer as counselors in Camp Koby, the sleep away camp sponsored by The Koby Mandell Foundation for children who have lost loved ones to terror or other tragic circumstances. more

What did Temur Vanacha, age 105, Kasteh Tanya, age 101, and Shadat Marcholia, age 103, all have in common? Well, besides their impressive old ages, they were all fans of yogurt, in particular “Dannon” yogurt. These three people were all part of an ad campaign for Dannon in 1977 that attributed their incredible longevity to their daily yogurt consumption. more

Some say that the Five Towns–Far Rockaway area is one of the premier Daf Yomi centers in the world. In Yerushalyim, there are over 30 shiurim a day in Zichron Moshe, but right here in our backyard we can boast over 60 daily Daf Yomi shiurim and already additional shiurim are in formation for the new cycle. more

On Tisha B’av at night, the spies returned With a critical report about the land They said it couldn’t be conquered They denied Hashem’s strong hand The Holy One, Blessed is He Saw our weeping in vain And established this day forever As a time of weeping and pain more

In a rare observation concerning the saddest day on the Jewish liturgical calendar, Ahuva Gray, Chicago born granddaughter of sharecroppers from Mississippi, and an adult convert to the Jewish faith, wrote about Tisha B’Av in her exquisite autobiography entitled, “Journey to the Land of My Soul.” There is much to be learned from these wise words, a sample of which I choose to share with you this week: more

A call for regulating automatic weapons more

Almost 40 years ago, Yasser Arafat sent five Palestinian terrorists into an Olympic Village that was supposed to be dedicated to peace and international cooperation. Their mission was to shock the world by kidnapping and killing the Israeli Olympic team. more

In response to their leadership making a strategic decision to take on the yeshiva tuition affordability crisis in a major way, the Orthodox Union, as the largest Orthodox umbrella organization in the United States, has appointed Michael Cohen of Englewood, N.J. as its New York State Director of Political Affairs to lead the way ---- and six months into his new gig he’s already making inroads. more