It was a lesson I learned long ago, when I was a high school teacher. I was new at this line of work and found that my greatest challenge was to find ways to motivate the students. I tried … more

All beginning students of Torah face this obstacle: In their original, the primary texts of our Jewish tradition have no punctuation. There are neither commas nor periods in the Torah scroll. … more

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about transitions and destinations. Perhaps it’s because in childhood, at precisely this time of year, my friends and I would relish the approach of … more

It is a long time since I first heard the term “work-study program,” something designed to assist young adults with limited financial means to achieve a professional education. … more

Dead. Unburied. Abandoned. Forgotten. What can be a worse fate? I once read a very moving novel about the events immediately preceding World War I and the fate of those who were caught up in … more

I am proud of my large library of Jewish books. My collection, which my wife half-jokingly refers to as my addiction, began on my 11th birthday with a gift from my maternal grandparents, may … more

We’ve heard the clichés that are used to convey the importance of social groups and realization that people cannot “go at it alone” — “No man is an … more

There are certain phrases or expressions that many of us find hard to say. “I love you” is one of them. Another such phrase is “thank you.” Although these words are … more

I was wrong. I am sorry. Please forgive me.” These are rare words indeed, but I heard them pronounced clearly by a woman I once worked for, and whom I still admire. She was the … more

What is life all about? One answer is that life is all about beginnings and endings. Birth and death, marriage and divorce, Hopeful anticipation and inglorious defeat. Most commonly, … more