Ever since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, relations between Iran and the West have increasingly deteriorated. From the US embassy hostage crisis to the recent reports of Iranian forces shooting down US UAVS (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) allegedly crossing into Iran over its shared border with Afghanistan, relations between Iran, the West, and allies of the West have come to a breaking point. more

At 14 years old, while most boys were into sports, I was working at a part time job at an antique store on Kings Highway in Brooklyn. It was 1980 and silver prices were insanely high. Every little old Jewish lady was bringing in their family’s antique Kiddush cup, menorah, spice box, etc to sell for the melt value of silver. The owner of the antique store was not Jewish, but understood that the melting down of these historic treasures was just plain wrong. more

The first of the twelve steps is admitting you have an addiction and I am man enough to admit that I have a terrible addiction to soda. I started young when I was in my early teens with gateway sodas like Sprite and Sunkist Orange and eventually it turned into a full-blown Coke habit. By the time I was in college, I was experimenting will all sorts of exotic drinks like Tahitian Treat, Surge, and even Pepsi Blue. Today, with shame, I admit that if you had gone into my dorm at YU and checked my mini fridge you would have found no less than three different flavors of Mountain Dew at any given time. more

Dear Aviva, I have both a friend and a relative with the same issue. If they have a problem with something that I’ve said or done, they will not call me out on it immediately and appropriately, instead they let it fester and brew and not mention anything about it. They may avoid me until one day, weeks later, something may trigger it and they blow. Both these people have had hard lives, and I feel like they take things harder when someone wrongs them. When they finally come out and say why they are upset, they end up standing there blubbering and crying and I feel absolutely no rachmanos for them. They should have said something before! How can I avoid this or handle it better in the future? -Irritated Irritant more

I cried at the 9/11 Memorial when I visited. I brought my two grown boys with me for emotional support. The last time I was in the World Trade Center was a couple of weeks before 9/11 when I took my sons to the observation deck to show them where I had worked for 3 years. more

Miriam’s Musings delights readerTo the Editor:Congratulations to Karen Green. Moreover, double kodus for adding Miriam Bradman Abrahams to your staff. Her opinion column is just what I need now … more

There are political campaigns and there is Iowa. For the past six plus months the state of Iowa has been inundated with political operatives, political ads, and candidate robo-calls all leading up to tonight’s caucus vote. more

I always look forward to. For eight days, I get more and more excited as the day continues and the next night of Chanukah approaches. While life will always have its share of dark moments, the opportunity to spend a week surrounded by close family and friends, re-telling the story of the miracle of the Jewish people’s survival, against all odds, in their battle against the mighty Greek empire, is always uplifting. more

As a personal chef, I am sometimes asked by clients, to recommend a signature, mouthwatering dish, that is sure to “wow” their guests. Without hesitation, I always offer my favorite appetizer; baby lamb chops in pastry dough smothered in mushroom sauce.   more

Were one to examine Yisrael’s attitude towards going to Egypt, it would be hard to convince us that he was apprehensive about the trip. When he heard Yosef was alive and was convinced by the sight of the wagons that he would be reunited with his favorite son, “His spirit became alive. He said, ‘... I will go and see him before I die.’” (45:27-28) more