Spirituality/Tradition
What’s With the Wig?
A friend once asked me whether a certain activity was permitted on Shabbat. She’d heard that it wasn't -- because she enjoyed it. How...
Twice-Divorced Holocaust Survivor Marrying Woman Nearly Half Century Younger Wants ‘Big New York Party’ to Celebrate
A Holocaust survivor who recently got engaged to a woman nearly half a century his junior told the New York Post that he hopes to have the wedding at the Fifth Avenue Synagogue, where he is a member. Two-time divorcé...
Only a New Judaism Can Save Israel — and Our People
When I contemplate the future of the state of Israel and its inhabitants, I realize more and more that religious Judaism must become its primary driving force, so as not merely to survive, but to...
The Beauty of Israel Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Occasionally you come across information in an article that is meaningless to most of the readers, but resonates powerfully with you. Stumbling across one of these nuggets is a "Eureka!" moment, and I was lucky...
The Listener, Not the Speaker, Can Often Change the World
It is one of the most important words in Judaism, and also one of the...
UK Chief Rabbi Corresponds With 11-Year-Old Australian Girl About Meaning of Friendship; Quotes King Solomon
The UK's chief rabbi on Tuesday posted on Twitter an email correspondence with a young Australian girl...
Afterthoughts on Tisha B’av
I must confess that this year’s Tisha B'av, a few days ago, was the first...
Message to My Daughter Under the Chuppah
Below are the words I delivered during my daughter's wedding in Jerusalem: Shterny, these are my last...
Keeping Kosher, Eating Healthily
Not a week goes by without a new fad diet hitting the headlines. Each promises countless health...
What’s With the Wig?
A friend once asked me whether a certain activity was permitted on Shabbat. She’d heard that it wasn't -- because she enjoyed it. How did...
Twice-Divorced Holocaust Survivor Marrying Woman Nearly Half Century Younger Wants ‘Big New York Party’ to Celebrate
A Holocaust survivor who recently got engaged to a woman nearly half a century his junior told the New York Post that he hopes to have the wedding at...
Only a New Judaism Can Save Israel — and Our People
When I contemplate the future of the state of Israel and its inhabitants, I realize more and more that religious Judaism must become its primary...
The Beauty of Israel Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Occasionally you come across information in an article that is meaningless to most of the readers, but resonates powerfully with you. Stumbling across one of...
The Listener, Not the Speaker, Can Often Change the World
It is one of the most important words in Judaism, and also one of the least understood. Its two most famous occurrences are in last...
UK Chief Rabbi Corresponds With 11-Year-Old Australian Girl About Meaning of Friendship; Quotes King Solomon
The UK's chief rabbi on Tuesday posted on Twitter an email correspondence with a young Australian girl who had written to ask what "friendship" means to him. Moved by...
Afterthoughts on Tisha B’av
I must confess that this year’s Tisha B'av, a few days ago, was the first time in 54 years (since I was 16) that I...
Message to My Daughter Under the Chuppah
Below are the words I delivered during my daughter's wedding in Jerusalem: Shterny, these are my last words to you as a single woman as you stand...
Keeping Kosher, Eating Healthily
Not a week goes by without a new fad diet hitting the headlines. Each promises countless health benefits and longevity, while guaranteeing sustainable weight loss, and each...
Shabbat Nachamu in Jerusalem, 1920
The Haftorah read on Shabbat Nachamu, which follows Tisha B’Av, expresses the message of comfort conveyed by the prophet Isaiah to a bereaved nation soon...
The Power of Asking Why
In a much-watched TED talk, Simon Sinek asked the question: how do great leaders inspire action? What made people like Martin Luther King and Steve Jobs...
A Daughter Weds in Jerusalem
Next week, our daughter Shterny will wed in Jerusalem. It would have been easier, obviously, to have the wedding in the United States. But there...
How to Use Your Judaism to Lose Weight
JNS.org - Cholent on Shabbat day. Brisket on Rosh Hashanah. Matzo balls and challah – lots of challah. Jews love food, and much of Jewish culture...
Tisha B’Av and the Nature of Evil
The period of mourning for the destruction of our two Jerusalem temples does not seem to fit with the idea that Judaism is underpinned by...
