It was over 40 years ago, but I remember the feelings very well. They were overwhelming, and were not dispelled easily. It was just after I had completed all of my course requirements and … more

The very last of the vessels of the Mishkan is finally described in chapter 30, as we learn of the kiyor, the washbasin the kohanim were to utilize before involving themselves in the service of the … more

Last year, I spent a week in Poland with Orayta, and had an experience I still cannot get out of my head. The wind was howling as we walked into the forest of Zvilitovska Gora, a suburb of Tarnow, … more

A jazz pianist complained to the club owner about the piano, but the owner did nothing. Angry and frustrated, the pianist announced that he would not show up for work until the piano was … more

It is a moment of the highest drama. In Ki Tisa, the Israelites, forty days after the greatest revelation in history, have made an idol. G-d threatens to destroy them. Moshe, exemplifying the … more

Elections in Israel are less than two months away, and so far the campaign has been dominated by two main stories. One is speculation about whether Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit … more

Perhaps among one of the greatest Jewish theologians in the United States today is Rabbi David Fohrman of Woodmere. His writings about the story of Purim will be the main focus of this week’s … more

The time had finally come. There was no putting it off anymore. It was time to start some sort of exercise routine. I thought back to years ago when, with the help of my friend Carol Grob, I had … more

The history of Jews and cake is a long one. Jews made sweet pastries as far back as is traceable. Coffee cakes, sponge cakes for Pesach, tarts and tortes have been part of the Jewish menu for … more

Past American administrations invested so heavily in fruitless attempts to facilitate Arab-Israel negotiations that American envoys came to be known as “peace processors” — that … more