Spirituality/Tradition
Jewish Peoplehood and Fantasy Sports
On my walk through my local shopping strip on Saturday I overheard the florist comment that he'd sold more Christmas trees this year to...
A Titanic Victory and a Small Cruse of Oil
David Brooks, in an engaging but superficial article on Hanukah in the New York Times (The Hanukah Story, NY Times, December 10, 2009), sheds light on the brighter side of the Greeks who emphasized the...
Modern Day Lessons from the Chanukah Story
The story of Chanukah we hear year in and year out is about the triumph of the gallant few Maccabee rebels against the might of the Syrian Greek Empire. There's a political narrative...
Children Celebrate Chanukah with the Israeli Consulate and Miss New York
Giving back to the community is a holiday tradition at the Israeli Consulate in New York. In celebration of the Chanukah Holiday, the consular staff joined Amber Collins, Miss New York 2011,...
On the Death of Christopher Hitchens: Obituary for an Atheist Propagandist
There is a story told about the saintly Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, also known...
The Rebellious Man of Faith
The patriarch Jacob, my namesake (Jacob Shmuel) of whom we have read the past few...
Vayishlach – Success Is No Substitute for Familial Harmony
Whole "Jacob arrived whole to the city of Shechem," the Torah states in this week's portion,...
Museum Gala Celebrates Communities of the Jewish Diaspora
Friends and supporters of Beit Hatfutsot - The Museum of the Jewish People - celebrated...
Vayeitzei – The Battle of the Stones
The Quarrel The rabbis in the Talmud focus on an apparent grammatical inconsistency in the...
Jewish Peoplehood and Fantasy Sports
On my walk through my local shopping strip on Saturday I overheard the florist comment that he'd sold more Christmas trees this year to Jewish...
A Titanic Victory and a Small Cruse of Oil
David Brooks, in an engaging but superficial article on Hanukah in the New York Times (The Hanukah Story, NY Times, December 10, 2009), sheds light...
Modern Day Lessons from the Chanukah Story
The story of Chanukah we hear year in and year out is about the triumph of the gallant few Maccabee rebels against the might...
Children Celebrate Chanukah with the Israeli Consulate and Miss New York
Giving back to the community is a holiday tradition at the Israeli Consulate in New York. In celebration of the Chanukah Holiday, the...
On the Death of Christopher Hitchens: Obituary for an Atheist Propagandist
There is a story told about the saintly Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, also known as the Alter (The Old One) of Slobodka (1849-1927), whose...
The Rebellious Man of Faith
The patriarch Jacob, my namesake (Jacob Shmuel) of whom we have read the past few weeks in the Bible, is the most maligned of all...
Vayishlach – Success Is No Substitute for Familial Harmony
Whole "Jacob arrived whole to the city of Shechem," the Torah states in this week's portion, Vayishlach. What a gift it is—to be whole, complete. To feel...
Museum Gala Celebrates Communities of the Jewish Diaspora
Friends and supporters of Beit Hatfutsot - The Museum of the Jewish People - celebrated "a Vision for the Future" at a warm and welcoming...
Vayeitzei – The Battle of the Stones
The Quarrel The rabbis in the Talmud focus on an apparent grammatical inconsistency in the portion of Vayeitzei. When Jacob journeys from Beer Sheba to Haran,...
How Jacob was Prepared to Risk His Soul in Confronting Esau’s Evil
The ancient Israelite nation was founded and built by many great men of impeccable character, whose devotion to God and righteousness were imbued in every...
The Sandy Path to Inspiration
Free Plowing Back in the '40s, a Jewish guy was arrested for smuggling guns into Israel, then known as Palestine. He was taken into one of...
Why I Dislike the Term ‘Chosen People’
I cannot begin to tell you how much I dislike the expression "The Chosen People". It is not that I have any problem with...
Stories of the ‘Jewish Pope’ – Rabbi Israel Meir Lau
Israel Meir Lau, the former Chief Rabbi of Israel -and both former and current Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv - shared the stage...
Abraham Vs. Gaddafi
The Genesis of a Faith The unfolding dramatic events in Libya, Syria, Egypt, and other countries in the Middle East and Africa, as well...
