THIS is Chanukah
Tonight is the eighth and final night of Chanukah. After the flames die down, many people will pack up the menorah and think little of the holiday again until next year. However, the…
Top of the Class
Among the scholars quoted in Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Fathers, are clusters of sages who are interconnected whether due to being from the same city, are part of the same generation or…
Young Man…
The Jewish community has an incredible penchant for organizing and for creating organizations. Indeed, American Jewish life is an alphabet soup of acronyms, and one of the best-known is…
Rahel the Poetess
The poetry of Rahel has been described as both lyrical and sad, reflecting the challenges of her relatively brief life and her passion for the Land of Israel. Rahel Bluwstein Sela…
An Imperfect Measure
Building requires many measurements, and the numerous building projects discussed and described in the Torah include a great deal of widths and breadths and heights. From Noah’s Ark to…
Couldn’t Hear The Hope
"Don't worry, it will get easier. Don't worry, I'm sure things will get better." As heartening as these words may seem, most people who are in a difficult time of their life often hear…
Can You Say A Little Prayer For Me?
It states in the Talmud, “Rabbi Pinchas ben Hama gave the following exposition, ‘Whosoever has a sick person in his house should go to a tzaddik (righteous person) who will invoke…
The Jews of Turkey: A Historical Overview
Given Turkey’s proximity to the Land of Israel, it is not surprising that there has been a Jewish presence in that country since at least the 4th century B.C.E, when the land was Roman…
Golem
The story of the Golem of Prague is one of the best-known, fantastic and romantic Eastern European tales. It has been retold in both prose and play-form and is perpetuated in the oral…
Twilight
In Judaism, the day begins and ends at sunset. But defining sunset can be complicated. However, for many aspects of Jewish life, such as the observance of Shabbat/holidays, prayer times…