Recently, Dr. Meir Wikler published the fascinating “Behind Closed Doors: Over 45 Years of Helping People Overcome Their Challenges” (Menucha Publishers). The distinguished rabbi and … more

It’s time to get serious about cooking for the holiday. At the same time, school is starting, summer is ending and we really want to get those Labor Day barbecues in. And don’t forget … more

When I first read about it, the report made me so angry I was about to burst. It was nothing short of disgusting — Director Stan Zimmerman was staging a new version of “The Diary Of … more

Are human beings basically animals who need to be tamed by the forces of civilization? Or are humans angelic beings who sometimes get dragged down by the external forces of nature? Thomas … more

Our parasha, Re’eh, contains the obligation to physically destroy all objects used for idol worship: “You shall tear down their altars, smash their monuments, burn their idolatrous … more

If American Jews are unhappy with Israel, it may not be so much a function of the new nation-state law as the growing consensus that it is “illiberal.” In articles in both secular … more

The first mention in JTA of the Hebrew word hasbarah was in 1988, at the height of the first intifada. The article focused on Israeli and American Jews’ concern that the media were showing … more

Imagine the scene: A beautiful afternoon, with a breeze blowing a group of children and teenagers’ kites in the wind. The sound of their laughter carries across the sand. An innocent scene, … more

The rules for appointing a king are followed by a few personal restrictions the Torah places on him: he must be an observant Jew with all that entails, and he may not have an excess of horses, … more

Our parasha, Shoftim, contains the celebrated verse, “Justice, justice shall you pursue, [in order] that you may live and possess the land the L-rd, your G-d, is giving you.” (Devarim … more