This week’s Torah portion, Devarim, which opens the fifth book of the Torah of the same name, finds Moshe beginning his tragic farewell speech to the Jewish people: “Eileh Ha’Devarim Asher Diber Moshe El Kol Yisrael Be’Ever Ha’Yarden….” “These are the words which Moshe spoke to the entire Jewish people on the other side of the Jordan…” (Devarim 1:1) more

I remember as a kid being glued to the TV in 1972, watching Mark Spitz (my future husband, or so I thought at the time). He was my favorite Olympian. He was handsome, talented, won seven gold medals, was planning to go to dental school, and he was Jewish — a great catch. more

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s vice-presidential running mate, has received significant funds from the anti-Israel organization J-Street and has shown support for organizations … 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

Historically, Shavuot — which begins this year on Sunday night, May 16 — is the celebration of the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai more than 3,300 years ago. It … more

One of the most famous episodes in the Torah is also one of the most morally problematic. “Take your son, your only son, the one you love — Isaac — and go to the land of … more

Shabbat in winter brings forth thoughts of steaming chicken soup, roasted chicken and lots of hot and homey side dishes. After all, it is winter and we crave the warmth and comfort of the foods that … more

For more than 20 years, the Anti-Defamation League has touted its “No Place for Hate” education as a model for how school districts can address intolerance. The program has been adopted … more

The great German writer Heinrich Heine famously observed in his 1821 stage play “Almansor,” set in Spain during the Inquisition, that “wherever books are burned, they will … more

S chopenhauer asked, “What do porcupines do in winter? How can they stay warm?” If they come too close to one another, they will injure each other. If they stay too far apart, they … more