To the Editor: In his predictable criticism of the statistically insignificant number of Rabbis for Obama who are on the board of Jewish Voice for Peace (an anti-Israel group) and those who are members of Rabbis for Human Rights (a pro two-state solution group that, unlike Jeff, has actually gone into Palestinian areas in West Bank to do their work, but never mind), Jeff wonders aloud how many more on the list he can smear. more

By the time you read this column it will probably be T-minus 2 days to Purim. Are you panicking yet? Have your shaloach manot been packed? Your seudah shopping completed? Your costumes picked out? Back in the day, I don’t remember any panicking. more

Yom Yerushalayim celebrates that wonderful day during the Six-Day War when the IDF liberated the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount was returned to the Jewish people There is another story about the unification of Jerusalem that most don’t talk about. But it’s important to remember on Yom Yerushalayim that if it were not for the progressive hubris of the man considered to be the hero of Jerusalem’s liberation, Moshe Dayan, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount would not be the issue it is today. more

Winston Smith, the main character in Orwell’s novel 1984, worked for the Ministry of Truth, an enormous building made of pristine white concrete which housed over 3000 rooms. On the outside wall are the three slogans of the ruling party: “WAR IS PEACE,” “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY,” “IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” more

The Torah tells us that Moshe was given an instruction that “On the day of the first month, on the first day, you shall erect the Communion Tent Tabernacle.” (40:2). This was fulfilled in … more

It was three years ago; America elected a president who was going to repair our relationship with the world, particularly the Muslim world, after eight years of that “cowboy” George W. Bush. Regretfully, our “relationship repairer-in-chief” has presided over an increased divide between with the Muslim nations, and managed to create a rift with Israel, our most reliable ally in the region. more

I am not going to write about the wars, the troops, the president, Congress, Iraq, Iran, al-Qaeda, global warming, gas prices, hybrid cars and carbon footprints. more

By Rabbi Avi Billet Issue of May 8, 2009 / 14 Iyar 5769 In the laws of Rosh Hashana (Shulchan Arukh 581:1), the Rema says the leader of the services, the chazzan (cantor) must be 30 years old … more

By Sara K. Eisen Issue of June 11, 2010/ 29 Sivan 5770 Here’s the thing. I’ve been thinking about poor Helen Thomas, who I believe was probably just saying what everyone thinks and has … more

Before its exposition of the holidays and their respective sacrificial offerings, the Torah gives us its only reversal of the most repeated verse in the Torah. Normally it says “And G-d spoke to Moshe saying.” Here it says “And Moshe spoke to G-d saying.” more