At last week’s Saturday night Chanukah presentation at the Young Israel of Woodmere, Rabbi David Fohrman, of Woodmere, contrasted the Purim and Chanukah Al Hanisim prayers that we say after the Modim liturgical work, each themed to a thanksgiving to G-d. “In the Al Hanisim prayer for Purim, we give thanks for the miracle of being saved, and that’s it. The prayer ends with a recounting of the salvation itself. However, for Chanukah, it doesn’t end there. Instead, the prayer concludes with an epilogue: and we establish these days, as days of thanks and praise.” more

This past week, I catered a sit-down Thanksgiving dinner for 48 for a producer from California who was in town for her son’s wedding, finalized a few party proposals, filled a few cake orders, cooked for my mom, and tried to shop for a dress to wear to a dinner. Turns out shopping was the hardest item on my list. more

As the enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act gets underway, Achiezer has been fielding many questions. Dozens of families have already been successfully enrolled in the system, as Achiezer’s insurance staff were from the first in state to successfully train and learn these new programs; approximately 90 percent have already come away with significant savings. As resident health insurance expert, Achiezer Health Insurance Coordinator Sruly Miller gives us the lowdown on what we can expect. more

During the second Intifada, after a wave of violence broke out in Israel, our unit was called up for nearly forty days as part of an emergency draft order. It is difficult to describe how challenging it is to be completely uprooted from your life, literally overnight, with no idea of how long you will be needed, or when you will be able to get back to the routine of job and family. It was more than a challenge; it was often overwhelming. more

In the Torah, the city Beer Sheva appears thus named only one time (26:33). Otherwise it is always called Beer Shava. Seforno notes the difference between the vowelization of the two names of the city, while Ibn Ezra offers that when it is called Beer Sheva it might be for two reasons (based on an oath and the number seven) or, perhaps, it is a different (though similarly named) city. more

Five Five Towners were honored at OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services 44th Annual Gala at the New York Marriott Marquis on Sunday, Nov. 24. more

Yad Hachazakah, the Jewish Disability Empowerment Center, is celebrating a chanukat habayit of their new home at 1389 East 18 St. in Flatbush, with an open house on Thursday, Dec. 5, and Sunday, Dec. 8. Rabbi Michael Levy, a Woodmere resident and active member of Congregation Aish Kodesh, has been a board member of Yad since its founding in 2006. more

Tucked quietly away on the far-western edge of North Africa, Morocco has largely avoided the upheaval of the so-called “Arab Spring” that has plunged many Middle Eastern countries into chaos. It has a vibrant economy, stable government, and growing tourism industry. more

Worldwide performances of “Fiddler on the Roof” attest to its cultural power, as it evokes the yearning for tradition in a changing world. What is behind its staying power? According to Alisa Solomon, author of the new book “Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof,” it is the show’s balance between the universal and the particular. more

This week, as Jews across the world celebrate Chanukah, they also remember the victory of the Maccabees against the brutal rule of Antiochus IV, designated “Harasha” (“the wicked”) by rabbinic tradition. Antiochus’s main aim was to Hellenize the Jews in the ancient land of Israel by forcing them to adopt Greek customs in place of Jewish ones. more