It’s Okay To Be Afraid
“Courage is a special kind of knowledge: the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared.” -David Ben-Gurion Within the genre…
The Most Important Meal
Across the country, school breakfast programs are offered in order to ensure that students will be properly nourished and capable of putting forth their best efforts during their day of…
The Jewish History of the Cyclone Roller Coaster
Coney Island’s reputation as a vacation destination began in the early 1800s, when New Yorkers would head to the beaches. Following the Civil War, Coney Island became a true recreation…
The Intellectual Prototype
In the early and mid-twentieth century, there were what might be called stereotypical Jewish intellectuals – Jewish men and women who were dedicated socialists and whose fervor was often…
Placing A Veil
One of the most beautiful customs of a traditional Ashkenazi wedding is the ceremony known as the Badeken. The term Badeken is Yiddish for covering, as this is the moment when the bride…
Feast of Weeks
Shavuot, which we begin celebrating Tuesday night (June 3rd), is the only holiday in the Torah not listed by the date on which it is to be observed. Rather, the Torah teaches that this…
Whose First Fruits
When the Oral Law was first codified, most Jews lived in agrarian settings. Today, being less familiar with agrarian culture, some people find it difficult to relate to some of the…
Preparing for the Torah
Shortly after the Israelites encamped at the base of Mount Sinai, they agreed to accept the Torah and do all that God had commanded. And so, God declared that He would bring Himself, in…