Twenty-one-year-old Zvika Greengold had just been accepted into the prestigious Company Commanders course and given two weeks’ leave. He was home on his Kibbutz Lohamei HaGeta’ot near … more

Some time ago I had the privilege of meeting a World War II veteran with a fascinating story to share: Born in Germany, his parents saw the writing on the wall and he was sent to boarding school … more

Some time ago I received this story via e-mail: On Nov. 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Lincoln Center. Anyone who has ever been to a Perlman … more

The vision of what it would mean to command men was evaporating before my eyes. Two weeks after completing IDF Officer’s course, I had been looking forward to the challenges of mission … more

It was a blisteringly hot day, and the shade of the trees offered little respite for the 40 prisoners of the Waldkommando (forest brigade) whose job it was to cut down trees for lumber for the … more

One of the great satisfactions of life as an educator is watching a student’s face when “the penny drops,” when a difficulty or question they have struggled with suddenly is resolved. Equally … more

Sefer Bereishit is all about our role models: Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, Leah and more. We learn from them our most basic values: Loving kindness and justice, truth and … more

At the end of every command-course in the Israeli army, a questionnaire known as a Sociometric test is given to each cadet. It’s a pretty simple form: each soldier is asked to list five … more

It was the loneliest, most depressing night of my life. After almost a year of training, with only a couple of days to go before getting my bars and finishing officer’s course, I had been ordered … more

A number of years ago, I struck up a friendship over Pesach with a Holocaust survivor, a former inmate of the Janowska work camp and Auschwitz. Towards the end … more