Issue of November 6, 2009/ 19 Cheshvan 5770 More on secular college To the Editor: I was quite surprised to see the vehemence of the reaction to Rabbi Reuven Spolter’s article … more

An exit interview By Michael Orbach Issue of February 5, 2010/ 21 Shvat 5770 Before he announced that he would be resigning from his position as City Councilman of the 44th District to become … more

Issue of May 21, 2010/ 8 Sivan 5770 So, how was Yom Tov? Up all night learning? Enjoyed some cheesecake? We’ve just celebrated the major Jewish holiday most American Jews have never heard … more

By Mayer Fertig Issue of September 10, 2010/ 2 Tishrei 5771Peninsula Public Library and Temple Israel of Lawrence have signed a letter of intent for the library to buy several pieces of property … more

They work, raise families, and still want a master’s degree in Jewish education. Starting in September, teachers from seven local schools could have it all without the lengthy commute and tuition, as they enroll in Yeshiva University’s new School Partnership Master’s Program. “I have a family with kids and this is a convenience. It’s every Monday night for four hours,” said Woodmere resident Estee Lightstone, who teaches seventh graders at HANC. more

On the surface, the mitzvah of dwelling in the succah appears to be quite straightforward. The Rambam formulates the mitzvah in the following fashion: What is the mitzvah of dwelling in the succah? One should eat and drink and dwell in the succah for the entire seven-day period both at night and during the day in exactly the same manner that he dwells in his house during the other days of the year. Throughout the entire seven-day period a person should treat his house as a temporary dwelling and his succah as his permanent dwelling. more

I’m not much for adventure — call me a chicken, wimp, or scaredy cat, I don’t care! I subscribe to the “better safe than sorry” rule and as a diehard city girl, I find that riding the subway in the city late at night provides enough thrills! But I do mind missing out on family fun, so I sometimes allow myself to be cajoled into venturing out of my comfort zone. I’m not talking about rappelling, bungee jumping, parasailing or scuba diving. For that class of activity I immediately respond with an emphatic NO! more

Exhorting listeners to repossess Shabbat, create a relationship with G-d, and reconnect with family, Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Executive Vice President Emeritus of the Orthodox Union, delivered the keynote and final lecture on May 6th at an NCSY community wide event at the Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst, entitled Spiritual Solutions: Guiding Our Children Through Today’s Greatest Challenges. more

In a recent essay, scholar Dr. Israel Drazin made the following observation: “Many rabbis write books based on Torah verses, which they use as a backdrop for their ideas about contemporary society and the application of what they consider moral principles to various modern problems.” more

If you suffer from back pain, you are far from being alone. Nearly everyone will experience some form of back pain at some point in his or her life. It is the second most common cause of missed days of work in the United States. (The common cold causes more missed days of work). Most back problems arise from injuries to the muscles or ligaments. more