Improving communication and seeking ways to fix transportation problems in the Lawrence School District and the private schools it serves was the focus of a meeting between district officials, yeshiva leaders and parents on Monday. Earlier this school year, parents bombarded the district and its bus company, Inwood-based Independent Coach, with complaints — mostly concerning children not getting to school on time, getting home late and being on the bus for nearly two hours in some cases. more

Caring for aging parents and grandparents who are Holocaust survivors remains an issue of concern for many Five Towners. More than 60 people attended a talk on the subject on Monday that was hosted by Ohel and the Claims Conference, at Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence. The children of aging parents are the “triple-decker generation, juggling so many demands,” Harriet Blank, LCSW, director of geriatrics at OHEL and the evening’s main speaker, said. more

The SKA JUMP team successfully ran its first event of the year. Organized as a component of NCSY, JUMP (Jewish Unity Mentoring Program) is a teen leadership training program that focuses on teaching Jewish high school students leadership skills, thereby empowering them to help create positive changes in their schools and communities. more

Steve Frankel of Mikdash Educational Center (Machon Hamikdash in Jerusalem) presented a hands-on experiential learning program for HAFTR middle and elementary school students to learn about the Holy Temple. more

After watching a video featuring a lone Israeli pilot being surrounded by 11 Egyptian MIG fighter planes and successfully shooting them all down, Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, Rosh Mesivta of Rambam, pointed out that it highlighted the theme of Chanukah as one pilot took on an entire team of enemy pilots and emerged victorious. more

With the conclusion of the Torah reading cycle of Bereishis, this week’s essay will be devoted to a presentation of several contrasting styles of commentary. Utilizing their own words, this will demonstrate how the same biblical segment can be made to be viewed from variant perspectives thus demonstrating the unique plurality of methods of midrash and p’shat in our religious tradition. more

As I sit staring out of the window on this wintery, snowy day, trying to figure out what to write about, it hits me. Skiing. Not me skiing, I don’t like doing anything I don’t have total control over, and let’s just say, in my few attempts at skiing, I didn’t have total control! But my husband Jerry has great skiing stories! more

Top honors go to Harvard University’s Stephen Walt for the most asinine response to the purported deal between the world’s main powers and Iran over the latter’s nuclear program. more

Before Anwar Sadat took over, Egypt and the majority of the “moderate” Arab world were satellites of the Soviet Union. Sadat dumped the Soviets for the West, upsetting the Egyptian military (but American dollars earned their love and respect). Egypt’s move enticed other “moderate” Arab nations to come over to the Western side. more

Of all the unexpected visitors I ever received, none even come close to the surprise I got in the summer of 1994. I was teaching a course on Jewish values deep in the mountains of Pennsylvania, near Indian Orchard, at Camp Moshava. We were in the middle of an intense discussion on Jewish ethics, when I noticed three men standing at the entrance to the lodge. Their features were Far Eastern and they were standing patiently at the door, taking it all in. more