Prior to the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan on Sept. 25, the leaders of Iran, Turkey and Iraq all foretold of the coming of a “second Israel” if Kurdish independence was the end … more

Every year, as the yahrzeit of Yitzhak Rabin rolls around, subconsciously I feel some level of discomfort and tension. Like every other Israeli, remember that terrible day in 1995 all too well. … more

Eternity. What does it mean? Does anything really last forever? Many years ago, in the pre-dawn darkness on an empty Jerusalem road, I discovered just how fleeting life can be. After a very late … more

Take a careful look at Bereishit 24:67: “And Yitzchak brought Rivka to his mother’s tent. He took Rivka, she became his wife, and then he loved her, and then he was comforted over the … more

One of the major themes of our parasha, Chayeh Sarah, is Eliezer’s choice of a wife for Isaac from the daughters of Abraham’s birthplace: “And Abraham said to his servant … more

Yes, prayer is a bridge, a spiritual bridge that we take daily in our trip to G-d’s spiritual universe. And the bridge that we travel over is the siddur, the Jewish prayer book. Recently, a … more

My dad told me that every Friday my grandmother cooked two meals in tandem — Shabbat chicken, or brisket, or “gadempte fleische,” on one side of her tiny counter and, in her big, … more

G o to a Yemenite Jewish wedding or Bar Mitzvah and you will hear the women shouting the yelilot traditionally “sung” at all celebrations. I still recall when being called to the Torah … more

I  am currently teaching a weekly parsha class using the commentary of Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenberg, Ha’ktav V’hakabbalah. As it doesn’t appear in a class Chumash, it is less … more

The name and history of the Aish Kodesh in our community is well known. This legacy from the tragedy of the Warsaw Ghetto of one of its towering leaders, Rebbi Kalonymus Kalmish Shapira, the Aish … more