As one of the few Jews willing to admit to being politically conservative, I get asked the same question all the time, “How you can be both politically conservative and a Jew?” Most of the questioners are either liberal Jews who consider me something of a heretic, or a fellow conservative surprised to see the rare Jew within their ranks. more

Recently, there was an Internet video that became so popular it was shown on television news. It showed an overweight, bullied child who for the first time in his life fought back. This video touched me greatly because, while growing up, I was that fat kid who was bullied every day until I fought back (with a little help from my mom.) more

With Shabbos Hagadol now upon us, I thought it would be worthwhile to bring attention to a Shabbos Hagadol sermon delivered in 1962 by one of American Jewry’s most gifted thinkers who in his longtime capacity as rabbi of The Jewish Center in Manhattan delivered some of the most eloquent and meaningful d’roshos. more

Aharon's sons died three parshas ago, in Parshat Sh'mini, and nary a word has been said about them. Acharei Mot opens mentioning their deaths, picking up exactly where the Torah took a break in its narrative to discuss other things. Is there any significance to a multi-chapter tangent from the regular narrative of the Torah? Not unless the Torah doesn't view the tangent as a disruption of the narrative. more

Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl, in a recent Dvar Torah on Parshat Tazriah noted the following observation: “We have spoken about using speech in a way prohibited by the Torah, one of the ways in which we can use our speech for mitzvoth is relating the story of the exodus from Egypt. Although it is important that we read the text of the Haggadah, we may and are encouraged to add and elaborate on the story of yetzias Mitzrayim, as we say in the Haggadah, ‘the more one relates the story of the exodus, the more praiseworthy is he’. more

Davening was by far my greatest problem with Judaism. The number of hours spent in shul was staggering. Of course it wasn’t davening per se that bothered me but rather my inability to have meaningful davening experiences that was so frustrating. During my high school years, barriers to meaningful davening included my shamefully childish refusal to “submit” to administrative rule-makers who used detention threats as leverage to force me into minyan each day. Another obstacle was my failure to understand even the literal translation of the Hebrew words in the siddur. These two issues were resolved rather easily when I grew up a little and understood that teachers only want to help. I was ready to give davening a chance so I bought a new siddur with English translation printed under each individual word. more

Dear Aviva, I am a father of 4 kids- all in yeshiva. The tuition costs are exorbitant, and it's burning a huge hole in my pocket. It is causing much financial strife in my family. I am working a full time job that pays well, so I don't qualify for scholarship, yet I can't seem to afford much else except the tuition! It's putting a strain on my marriage, and arguing about money in front of my kids doesn't help our shalom bayis either. What’s your take on it? more

Trying to understand and or become a mensch in the world today, Often takes more thought and energy and effort, let’s say, Than one would normally think about on any given day. We often declare, “He’s a mensch!” and he very well might be, per se. more

The Goldstone Report was named for Judge Richard Goldstone who led the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) inquiry into Operation Cast Lead, the Gaza War, which was provoked by thousands of missiles fired by Hamas into Israel’s Negev communities. more

Our 21st century minds may find the purification process of the metzora unsettling. "Take two live birds, cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop. Have one bird killed in an earthen vessel over running water. Dip the remaining items (including the other live bird) in the blood of the first bird. Sprinkle the mixture on the one being purified, then let the live bird go free." (14:4-7) more