A story is told of a Jewish man who was riding on the subway reading a newspaper of the Klu Klux Klan. A friend of his, who happened to be riding in the same subway car, noticed this strange phenomenon. Very upset, he approached the newspaper reader, 
“Moshe, have you lost your mind? Why are you reading a Klu Klux Klan newspaper?” more

Shavuot? Already? How is that possible? Didn’t we just put away the last of our Pesach dishes, or, alternatively for some, unpacked our luggage? I’m actually still eating toasted coconut covered marshmallows because my son Jeremy always insists that we have more than enough to last through Pesach. more

Many who write about this parsha focus on the question that Rashi asks (quoting the Sifra on B’har), “Why are the rules of Shmittah (the Sabbatical year for the land of Israel) mentioned in the context of ‘Moshe at Mt. Sinai?’” more

In a recent presentation at the Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst, Brooklyn College professor and famed historian Dr. Shnayer Leiman discussed the controversy surrounding the speech and invocation given by Chief Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook at the inauguration of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem on April 1, 1925. more

The first weekend in May, we learned that early Israeli elections were scheduled for September 4th. Those elections were cancelled last week, with the stunning announcement that Prime Minister Netanyahu and the head of the leading opposition party, Kadima, reached an agreement to bring the party into the government, forestalling an election till the official end of its term on October 22, 2013. more

There are always interesting studies coming out of some well known research centers that are worth reading and understanding. Often they are fascinating because of the impact the reported results may have on day-to-day life. more

It was our first Masah, our first forced march. We were barely two weeks in the army, and Itzik, a sadistic little first sergeant who had made it his mission to make us, or rather, break us into soldiers, owned us for the night. more

Last week I was privileged to teach a class about Mikveh to a group of non-Orthodox Jews. The first ten minutes of the class focused on the concepts of "tumah" and "taharah" and how every single-word or two-word "translation" of each word does not do justice to the discussion. more

While a guest at Rabbi Berel Wein and Rebbetzin Jackie Wein, A”H for Shavuot in 1985, I had the pleasure of enjoying the most delicious homemade challah. more

If you read my posts or emails then you know I’m a night owl. I find the wee hours to be inspiring. Maybe it’s the mystery or romanticism of the dark, but, writing at 1 A.M., my ideas flow quickly from my brain out through my fingers to the keyboard onto the glowing screen. more