The longtime Chabad shaliach to Mineola, Rabbi Anchelle Perl, is no stranger to contemporary events, often using them as a tool to promote Jewish observance. Following the cremation of British pop singer Amy Winehouse on July 26, Rabbi Perl used the news story to explain the halachic ban on cremation. “Cremation puts the traditional Jewish burial in grave danger,” Rabbi Perl said. “I have recently received too many calls to help stop a cremation.” more

Davening was by far my greatest problem with Judaism. The number of hours spent in shul was staggering. Of course it wasn’t davening per se that bothered me but rather my inability to have meaningful davening experiences that was so frustrating. During my high school years, barriers to meaningful davening included my shamefully childish refusal to “submit” to administrative rule-makers who used detention threats as leverage to force me into minyan each day. Another obstacle was my failure to understand even the literal translation of the Hebrew words in the siddur. These two issues were resolved rather easily when I grew up a little and understood that teachers only want to help. I was ready to give davening a chance so I bought a new siddur with English translation printed under each individual word. more

Observing the mitzvah of reading Megillat Esther is usually fulfilled by following along in a text while one specific reader sings aloud. For 22 boys, of the North Shore Hebrew Academy of Great Neck, the obligation of reading the Purim scroll is pursued with great preparation and personal participation. more

There has been a running controversy in circles that are committed to Jewish Law over “brain death.” Traditional sources require the heart and lungs to stop functioning. In olden days a mirror or … more

The pride evinced by Dr. David Golinkin about the legacy of his father, Rabbi Noah Golinkin, should serve as a model for all of us who cherish the roles that our parents and grandparents played in … more

I remember as a child complaining to my parents one year that the gifts we received paled in comparison to the gifts we received the year before. My father was quick to point out that the focus … more

When the Beth Sholom Daf Yomi shuir completed the 24th page of the tractate of Zevachim, concluding their learning of the entire Talmud, it was a joyous occasion — especially for Harold Wohl. … more

The sight of 81 candles shining from our dining room window out to the cold winter night of Columbus, Ohio was indeed a sight to be seen. And so every year on the eighth night of Chanukah after my … more

August 6, 2010/ 26 Av, 5770 Who is the most desperate, destitute member of the Jewish society? It’s a loaded question and there is no correct answer. Unless you specify from whose perspective. … more

by Judah S. Harris Issue of July 16, 2010/ 5 Av 5770 Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu was 81 when he passed away in early June following a year of illness. 150 participants at his shloshim in Kew … more