We made it through another Yom Kippur. But this was unlike any Yom Kippur I could remember to date. more

Yom Kippur. Doesn’t matter how much you eat or drink right before the fast begins. As soon as you get home from Kol Nidrei chances are you’re going to be dying of thirst, and in the morning you’ll be craving that cup of joe (along with a danish or donut, in my case). more

Perhaps it was Rabbi Shmuel Hain who said it best: “We can now fully appreciate the unique theme of the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur and how they function as a bridge between the two. more

One of the great challenges in life, is knowing when to lead and when to follow. In the Israeli army, commanders are trained to lead by example. Many attribute this concept to the battle for Latrun in 1948. more

This has been a particularly awful week for President Obama and his foreign policy, especially in the Middle East. Early in the week there was the public split with Israel’s Netanyahu about drawing a “red line” that Iran’s nuke program must not pass, highlighted by a spat between the Israeli Prime Minister and the U.S. Ambassador, and the President’s choice of a campaign appearance on Lettermen over an emergency meeting with Netanyahu. more

It’s always exciting to receive a gift and pleasurable to procure something new. Whether it’s big or small, expensive or reasonable, exotic, unique or even just a useful or attractive household item, acquiring a fresh new object feels good. If getting things impacts one positively, then it could follow that losing things would only be negative, but life’s more complicated than that. more

Camp is over, pools are being closed, fall clothing line the racks in stores, the football season has begun and there are only 19 games left to be played in the MLB. Yes, sadly, summer is over and Rosh Hashanah is just a few days away. For the last few weeks the exchanges have been the same....”Shanna Tova,” “have a happy and healthy new year,” or my favorite, “gut g’benched yur,” as my grandparents used to say. more

Yes indeed, it is Rosh Hashanah once again, and there are some really fine, high quality books for your continued learning pleasure. To really understand the true meaning and feeling for the upcoming “Yimei Ratzon,” a close reading of some of the most authoritative teachings concerning this holy season is always in order. This year is no different, and by the time you finish with this essay, you will be inspired to read some of the selections suggested or revisit previous Kosher Bookworm reviews for even more choices. more

The Mechilta (and many other Midrashic passages) utilize the phrase “Imo Anokhi B’tzara” (Tehillim 91:15) to prove that G-d is not only pained by difficulties which affect the community (based on Yeshayahu 63:9), but is feeling the pain of the individual as well, as he or she is faced with personal trials and difficult times in life. more

I hadn’t planned on stopping to watch, but something about him caught my attention. Maybe it was his eyes, which was where his smile began; before it spread to the rest of his face; you could see it coming in the twinkle in his eyes. Or maybe it was the fact that, knowing his history as a Holocaust survivor, it seemed so powerful that on a day such as this, he could tell his story, with such a smile. more