With the annual observance of Veterans Day this coming Monday, my column this week will be devoted to a review of a very special essay that appeared in a very special high quality halacha journal, Hakirah, entitled, “Jewish GIs and Their Dog-Tags” by Rabbi Akiva Males of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. more

One of the most irritating aspects of the international efforts to deal with Iran’s nuclear program lies in the unrealistic expectations that negotiations create, even among those—like the American Jewish advocacy groups who met with the White House Oct. 29 to discuss the nuclear issue—who have every reason to be cynical. more

It’s been an awful week for the President and his signature legislation. Between revelations that, back in 2009, the administration discussed whether Obama should make his “you can keep your health care, period” promise, leaked memos of warnings about the introduction of the Obamacare website, and attacks on a cancer victim who complained about losing her plan, the administration seems to be out of touch with the public. more

When I was in Officer’s course, we had a Battalion Commander named Eyal, who made an indelible impression on me. A kibbutznik from the Golan, he was rather short, of slight build, not exactly the image of the mighty war hero. But he was one of those men who had been there; he was a veteran of the Yom Kippur war, and during the first week of the course he told us a story that came with a challenge. more

The first Pirates of the Caribbean film spent a few moments discussing the “honesty” of pirates. The lead character cheats in a duel and is thus accused, “You cheated!” He responds, “Pirate!” as if to say, “I don’t follow conventional rules.” One of the more memorable moments is when the female protagonist demands, in exchange for a precious medallion, that the pirates who are currently attacking Port Royal “leave and never come back.” When they agree, they begin to set sail with her on board, leading her to exclaim, “Wait! You have to take me to shore.” And she is told, “Your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement so I must do nothing…” more

As the weather takes on an added chill and the nights get longer, reading indoors takes on added value to our quality of time. Therefore please note these brief suggestions for high quality reading and learning for the months to come. more

Finally, there is a movement developing to fight back against Al Sharpton, the professional bigot and racial agitator, not only within his own African-American community but also by a new media watchdog group that is reminding Sharpton’s MSNBC advertisers of the type of person with whom they are dealing. [Al Sharpton’s bigotry, especially toward the Jewish Community in Crown Heights and at Freddy’s Fashion Mart in Harlem, was covered over the summer by this column in The Jewish Star.] more

In most of our prayer books, the English translation of the daily recitation of the Akeidah lacks an extensive commentary. A recently issued commentary on the weekday Shacharit service, “The Siddur Illuminated By Chassidus” [Kehot 2013], by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger and Rabbi Sholom Ber Wineberg, is an exception, providing us with an informed and well-written analysis that would serve us well for this coming Shabbat Vayera and the annual Torah reading of the Akeidah: more

Being way past deadline (as usual) for this week’s column, I was frustrated as not only was I late, I couldn’t come up with a topic to write about. Total writer’s block. And as hard as it is to come up with ideas for my column, it’s even harder to correlate them to the recipe, as you have probably noticed in the past, or you will certainly notice this week. So last night, while sitting at my computer, which by the way is from the Dark Ages, or so my kids tell me, I was close to calling my editor and admitting defeat, when while eating the fifth snack in the span of 20 minutes, I started to choke. Seems the almond I swallowed had different plans than the norm. Being home alone, I panicked a bit, but all ended well. I was a little shaken, but I had an idea for this week’s column.N more

November 2013 will be a month to remember. Consider the following: •Nov. 9-10 marks the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht. •Nov. 19 marks the 150th anniversary of Pres. Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. •Nov. 22 marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Pres. John F. Kennedy. •Nov. 28, Thanksgiving Day, is the first day of Chanukah. Starting this week, this column will attempt to give a literary spin to these events and cite several books to convey a better understanding of their historical, and if relevant, religious, significance. more