Our parasha begins with the famous words, “And Yaakov left Beersheba, and he went to Charan” (Bereishit 28:10). Yaakov’s departure is a direct response to his mother Rivka’s … more

And Yaakov went on his way, and angels of G-d met him. And Yaakov said when he saw them: ‘This is G-d’s camp.’ And he called the name of that place Machanaim” (Bereishit … more

In the summer of 1993, I found myself at one of the most unsettling dinner engagements that I have yet experienced. I was a young journalist writing about the war in Bosnia, and a friend of mine in … more

According to exit polls conducted by Pew Research Center and CNN, in last week’s midterm election, 79 percent of Jewish voters chose a Democratic candidate, and only 17 percent voted for … more

It is nice to see German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron hugging one another 100 years after the Great War. But we must not forget that between the end of that war and … more

Anti-Semitism hovered like a ghost, especially after the Pittsburgh massacre, on the midterm elections. It has unexpectedly become a keyword for all of November. Perhaps the community’s … more

Whenever election season rolls around, especially Election Day itself, I get that feel-good democracy vibe. If I was making a “These Are a Few of My Favorite Things” list, I would add … more

Buckwheat groats, or kasha, is a dish that I did not like until I was well into adulthood. My grandmother made it all the time. She ate it almost every day, and it might have been healthy had she … more

In the last two weeks, I’ve been seeing a mix of reactions to the tragic massacre at Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh. I don’t know how many people are living on the edge, … more

I’m certain that you have heard this saying before: “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” It is attributed to all sorts of wise people from Benjamin Franklin … more