Some of the curses in the tokhacha are meant to hit so close to home. Verses 28:29-33 describe how some things we might take for granted could easily be unequivocally stripped from us. more

He was one of the all time greats in Jewish thought and theology. Although a mystic he was venerated by non-mystics. According to Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, one of the first to translate his teachings, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto [Ramchal] “was one of the most brilliant thinkers of the past several centuries…his depth of thought and systematic mind are evident in all his works. more

Never, as long as I live, will I forget that moment, when the sounds of children’s laughter on a beautiful, peaceful Jerusalem afternoon were shattered by the screams of terror and agony that are the music for the dance of the suicide bomber. more

Last week I was blessed with my seventh step grandchild. My husband Jerry’s son Yoni and Yoni’s beautiful wife Esther welcomed their third child, a baby boy. They made aliyah to Efrat … more

Simcha photographers: Imagine the stories they could tell. The anxiety, sentimentality, tears, glamor, beauty, playfulness, excitement, poignancy — all should be found in a wedding album. … more

This week we’ve begun The Three Weeks — or ben ha-metzarim (literally, “between the narrow places).” On most Shabbatot, the Torah narrative that is read in synagogue is … more

A Jewish ambassador to Israel who is more sympathetic to Israel than to the Palestinians, and who will respect the wishes of the Israeli public and government? Shocking! I’m not being … more

With the Thanksgiving holiday now upon us I would like to bring to your attention a wonderful and most informative literary work entitled, “Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the … more

The Torah uses two phrases several times to indicate a longer-range prediction or association of fact. One phrase is “ad hayom hazeh,” literally translated to mean “until this … more

As I sit here writing this article for Sukkot, I find it hard to believe that Sukkot is already here. It seems like it’s been just a few months since the sukkah was stored away. Oh, wait, it … more