An earthquake in Virginia was felt in Nassau County. The 5.9 Richter hit near Richmond, Virginia, a half-mile beneath the ground. more

Southern Israel was attacked by four different terrorist cells today resulting in at least seven dead six were civilians (two young children aged 6 and 4) and one was a soldier. At least another 40 have been injured. more

Letters to the Editor more

Dear Aviva, I just moved to a new community. I know that all beginnings are difficult, but it’s taken more of a toll on me than I had expected. I feel overwhelmed with all my responsibilities of setting up a new home, making new friends, and getting to know the neighborhood. I feel that I have to live up to the expectations of the norm here, which include having a job, looking great, keeping a clean, modern home, and cooking superb Shabbat meals, all while maintaining a healthy relationship with my husband. But I don’t feel like Superwoman! How can I ease into my new community without feeling these pressures all at once? more

Long before French viticulture made its attempt to assert itself as the epicenter of wine making, the absolute best wine makers in the world were all located in the hills of Judea. While it is true what these vineyards were producing was not anything that we would consider palatable by today’s standards, it nonetheless laid down the groundwork for the development of modern day winemaking. more

Calendar for the week of Aug. 19, 2011 more

Twenty years ago a tragic car accident in Crown Heights Brooklyn escalated into a pogrom against the Jewish people. The media described it as violence between the area’s blacks and Jews. However the violence was not two-sided. The Crown Heights riot was an attack on the Hasidic community by some in the Caribbean community fueled by rumors and anti-Semitism. more

Back to school guide 2011: local news briefs more

According to the teachings of Rav Kook, while most blessings are of rabbinic origin, one of the most popular ones is to be found in this week’s parsha, Eikev, the Grace After Meals - Birkat HaMazon. more

The Jewish Star proudly presents its Back to School guide for 2011. Below is a selection of Nassau County day schools which submitted information to this newspaper. more