Springtime, sunny days, spring showers. And gardening. I love spring and all the shrubs and flowers that come to life after a winter’s rest. Last year after “Sandy” visited, my backyard needed some serious renovations. more

January 6, 1944. Snow on the ground; bitter cold; the sun hides behind the dark grey clouds over the harsh landscape of Auschwitz. Four gallows; four nooses, swaying in the wind. The members of the SonderKommando (special units) were responsible for removing the bodies from the gas chambers and burning them in the infamous crematoria. more

The final chapter of the book of Vayikra delves into the topic of Endowments and Valuations, essentially answering the question of what value humans, animals and properties have if a person makes a pledge to the Mishkan based on the value of another human being, etc. more

The Israel-Palestinian talks are dead, and the administration of President Barack Obama is doing its best to let the world know it blames Israel. Not by blatantly coming out and saying it, because that would cause Israel to fight back against the slander, but by sneaking around and creating a whisper campaign. more

It is worthy to note that one of the most famous quotations from the Torah that has been adopted as part of American history was actually originally used, in a sense, in a proper context. more

“I vaguely recalled that the song, ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ had been an expression of defiance and hope in Nazi Germany, and after the war it had been sung in Displaced Persons camps. As the Soviet Jewish resistance movement developed, the distinguished Yiddish poet Yosef Kerler composed his own version. However, when I enlisted Shlomo’s aid in 1964, none of these versions were current.” more

Two weeks ago I lost a very special friend. Hundreds of people thought of her as their special friend as well — I should say relative because, Selma Weber was known as Aunt Selly to all who knew her. more

It has been said that for many, their legacy in history comes after death, and, in the case of the late, great Yaakov Birnbaum, his legacy has come. This week’s column will consider several memorial essays devoted to the life’s work of Yaakov Birnbaum, who passed away on April 9 at age of 87, just short of 50 years from the time that he launched the first of many demonstrations against communist anti-Semitism. more

The sun did not shine, it wasn’t too cold to play So Jerry and his friends gathered in his dorm room on that cold wintry day. “No school” was declared in YU to the students’ glee and of course a plan was hatched to drive up to Grossinger’s and ski more

At the beginning of Parshat Emor, Moshe is instructed to inform the Kohanim of a few important rules for them to follow in order to maintain their taharah (purity) that allows them to serve the general Jewish society’s spiritual needs. more