“Where am I? What happened?” Osama bin Laden asks. A clerk of the Angel of Death replies, “You are dead.” Osama is confused. “How could that be I was just sitting in my home in Pakistan planning the bombing of the American transportation system and having tea with my 15-year-old wife. This must be a mistake.” more

While growing up we all believe in fantasies. For years my son believed that there were monsters under his bed at night, my daughter believed that a unicorn would show up for her to ride away. Both of them believed in the tooth fairy (there was one of those, but it was only their dad in a costume). more

Dear Aviva, I just got engaged 2 months ago and have a problem. My friends and I used to be very tight. We would hang out all the time and go away to different places for Shabbos. I have begun to notice that they have been calling me less and less. I see on Facebook that they are still going to cool places for Shabbos and I don’t even get invited. I understand that it’s hard for them that they are still single and I’m getting married, but I thought that our friendship was based on more than just being single together. I’m really hurt. -Betrayed Bride more

The kashrut of milk can vary depending on personal standards, with some Orthodox consumers relying on USDA supervisors, and others on a stricter Jewish supervision called Cholov Yisroel. Recent efforts to examine the labor, animal welfare, and environmental policies of food manufacturers, have resulted in a debate about their role in the kashrut of food. more

Every day there are more stories in the media and Arab protests about Israel trying to “Judaicise” the area around what they call the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. I have even read with curiosity how European Foreign Ministers and press reporters with Christian backgrounds describe the site as “what the Jewish people SAY was the location of the Holy Temples.” more

I used to be troubled a lot by the question of why G-d doesn’t reveal himself to us. If He wants our service, why doesn’t He demand faith through awe-inspiring demonstration and undeniable evidence? more

With the annual tribute to our nation’s mothers coming up this weekend I would like to present to you a couple of last minute suggestions that might serve as gifts to those most valiant ladies … more

The streets of New York are a challenge for bicyclists, with potholes, traffic, and pedestrians. But on May 1, they ruled the roads on the TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour. For Aviva Stern, an Israeli mother of three, the 42-mile trip was not about the sights, but about competing the route. more

With spring weather settling in for good, over a thousand basketball enthusiasts gathered at Lawrence High School on May 1. The event brought competitors from a variety of age groups and local schools, in total playing more than 30 games throughout the day. more

Calendar for the week of May 6, 2011 more