When I met my husband Jerry, I knew a lot of his good friends from years back, but every now and then he would say, “Look, there’s a close friend of mine.” Then, usually, he would have a conversation with the guy, and not introduce me. He would, though, always profusely apologize afterwards, for not introducing me, as he forgot his friend’s name. “You’re really good friends with the guy and you don’t know his name?” Weird, I thought. more

On Feb. 17, 2009, President Obama signed the $787 billion “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” (“the stimulus”) into law, declaring: “Today does not mark the end of our economic troubles, But it does mark the beginning of the end - the beginning of what we need to do to create jobs for Americans scrambling in the wake of layoffs; to provide relief for families worried they won’t be able to pay next month’s bills; and to set our economy on a firmer foundation.” Sadly that promise was never realized. more

Since its founding in 2008, J Street, the liberal Jewish advocacy group, has expended a great deal of energy trying to convince American Jews that it is a credible and more ethical alternative to traditional pro-Israel organizations like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). more

“The Making of a Halachic Decision, is subtitled, “A comprehensive analysis and guide to halachic rulings,” and indeed this is so. The use of the word “analysis” serves as the major motif of the methodology employed by Rabbi Walter to serve as the touchstone of what Jewish law is all about: analysis of the halachic method. more

The washbasin and its stand were made of copper from the mirrors of the dedicated women who congregated at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting” (Shmot 28:8). There is much credit given to the women who donated their mirrors for the sake of the creation of the kiyor (washbasin). Who were these women? Why were they so special to the point of their being enumerated in such a fashion? more

Rav Shlomo said: If you love someone, never ignore him. When you love someone and ignore him, it means they don’t exist. And that really hurts.” “Va’yakhel Moshe et kol adat B’nei Yisrael, vayomer aleihem: Eileh ha’devarim asher tzivah Hashem la’asot otam.” (“And Moshe gathered together the entire congregation of Israel, and said to them: these are the things that G-d commanded us to do.”) more

I remember as a kid being glued to the TV in 1972, watching Mark Spitz (my future husband, or so I thought at the time). He was my favorite Olympian. He was handsome, talented, won seven gold medals, was planning to go to dental school, and he was Jewish — a great catch. more

Education seems to be a constant theme running through every issue of The Jewish Star. We cover initiatives in education, what to teach, how to teach it, the importance of learning Torah, the importance of speaking with Holocaust survivors, and the importance of learning from our past. more

Why is it ok for homeowners on Broadway in Lawrence, Cedarhurst and Woodmere to ignore their responsibility to shovel the sidewalks in front of their homes? Time and again, days and days after a snowstorm, pedestrians must struggle to walk on the sidewalks, risking a fall on the ice and packed snow. more

There is a smug sense of “I told you so” about the challenge that Israel faces from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. more