Its over I hope. After ten days of wiener jokes, Congressman Anthony Weiner has finally stood up and admitted that it was indeed his picture tweeted out to a Seattle college student and that there were other indiscretions. I don’t know what the halacha is, but as far as I am concerned “weinergate” is over; it is now a personal matter for the Congressman and his wife. more

As the new month of Elul begins, I, like many others, begin the process of soul-searching and introspection that prepares me for the Yomim No’raim—the Days of Awe—of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I, like many others, go through the requisite atonement by saying s’lichot daily, heeding the sounds of the Shofar during Shacharit, saying Vidduy, and asking for others’ forgiveness directly. more

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

I couldn’t help myself; a huge grin spread across my face, and I felt like dancing, and then that one terrible word escaped, the one I still remember: “Todah.” (“Thank you.”) I could tell I was in trouble as soon as the words left my lips; his eyes changed first, then his entire face, and then the glare we all feared, the one that meant you were about to get a serious work-out. more

With Shavuot now behind up, we restart our learning of Pirkei Avot, beginning with the first chapter. Thus, it is most opportune to bring to your attention a new commentary by Rabbi Marc Angel, a … more

With the Ashkenazic community beginning Selichot this Saturday night, with Rosh Hashana around a week and a half away, bringing with it the Day of Judgment, we are left to examine our deeds, our … more

Obamacare is beginning to fall apart and the federal government is going to look to American taxpayers to fund putting it back together. Last Wednesday United Healthcare announced it lost $425 … more

As we approach Yom HaShoah (Holocaust memorial day on 27 Nissan), Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day on 3 Iyar) and Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day on 4 Iyar), Rabbi … more

After a Palestinian civil engineering student was revealed on Aug. 2 to be the terrorist arrested for plotting a large-scale attack on Jerusalem’s light rail in revenge for Jews visiting the … more

My husband Jerry is into ordering things online. Most things, he doesn’t know he needs, until he actually sees them. Over the last few years, he started collecting miniature figurines. First … more