The Mother of Women’s Basketball
Did you know that the mother of women’s basketball was Jewish? Senda Berenson revolutionized women’s athletics. Ironically, Berenson,* who was born on March 19, 1868, in Vilna, was a…
Purim Commitment
What does the holiday of Purim have to do with Jews reconnecting to their Jewish heritage? Purim is more than a celebration of the victory of the Jews over an enemy who wished to…
The Tribe of Menashe
As descendants of the original 12 sons of Israel, the lives and personalities of the descendants of Jacob significantly impacted on the history and behavior of the future tribe members…
Menashe and Ephraim
Joseph’s two sons, Menashe and Ephraim, are familiar names because (a) they each became the forefather of a tribe when Jacob divided the tribe of Joseph into two tribes, and (b) because…
The First Advisor on Jewish Affairs
In 1942, after first serving as a rabbi in Buffalo, New York, and then in Chicago, Illinois, Rabbi Judah Nadich (Baltimore 1912 - New York 2007) enlisted in the United States Army as a…
Annulment of Vows
"I swear that this time I will lose weight""I am going to pray every day..."We make promises all the time. We swear that we are going to do something, and then hope that we will be in a…
The Book of Lamentations
On Tisha b'Av, the ninth of Av, one of the ways that the Jewish people demonstrate their mourning over the loss of both Holy Temples is by refraining from Torah study that…
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…
Loyalty, A Prayer for the Government
Today, May 1st, is International Workers' Day, which is a celebration of the labor movement. It is also, officially, Loyalty Day, a federally sanctioned day for affirming one’s loyalty to…
The Afikomen
Those who have attended a Passover Seder know that one of the most beloved Seder traditions is the hiding* of the afikomen, a specially designated half-piece of matzah. But what exactly…