Kiss and Make Up
Today, August 25th, is the anonymously anointed “Kiss and Make Up Day.” Perhaps it is related to August 27th --“Global Forgiveness Day.” These modern “holidays” have little historic…
Tziporah and Elisheva
“Behind every great man...” So who were the women who gave their support to Moses and Aaron, the leaders of the Jewish people? Tziporah, Moses’ wife, was one of the seven daughters of…
Live Long And Prosper
Every "Trekkie" knows that Spock’s Vulcan salutation is accompanied by a strange hand gesture. What many don’t realize is that Leonard Nemoy borrowed this symbol from his traditional…
Children of Abraham and Sarah
“Children of Israel,” an often used title for the Jewish people, is a name defined by the familial relationship of the descendants of Abraham and Sarah. This familial relationship (which…
Serpent and Staff
The Rod of Asclepius, a serpent wrapped around a staff that is associated with the Greek god of medicine, is commonly used as a symbol for medical centers. Centuries before ancient…
The Talmud And The Popes
If the Torah is the heart of the Jewish people, then the Talmud is the spine--without either one, the Jewish people could not survive. But while the Talmud is essential for Jewish life,…
Rabbi Israel Salanter and the Mussar Movement
The Mussar movement, the formal study and program of ethical improvement, was developed in the mid-nineteenth century by Rabbi Israel Salanter (1810-1883, his family name was Lipkin but…
Women and War
The role played by female soldiers on the front lines during the last decade reflects the incredible shift in attitude regarding women and war. It is therefore of great interest to…
Chanukah and Divine Order
Chanukah always overlaps with at least one Shabbat (if not two), and since Chanukah begins on the 25th of Kislev and lasts for eight days, the holiday always coincides with the…
And You Shall Teach
Do you know the phone numbers of all of your siblings and your three closest friends? Since the advent of the PDA (personal digital assistant), and perhaps even since the beginning of…