It has been said that for many, their legacy in history comes after death, and, in the case of the late, great Yaakov Birnbaum, his legacy has come. This week’s column will consider several memorial essays devoted to the life’s work of Yaakov Birnbaum, who passed away on April 9 at age of 87, just short of 50 years from the time that he launched the first of many demonstrations against communist anti-Semitism. more

Camp HASC is a place where remarkable milestones are achieved each summer. Last summer alone, many campers accomplished great tasks and learned important skills which will permanently enrich their lives. more

The sun did not shine, it wasn’t too cold to play So Jerry and his friends gathered in his dorm room on that cold wintry day. “No school” was declared in YU to the students’ glee and of course a plan was hatched to drive up to Grossinger’s and ski more

At the beginning of Parshat Emor, Moshe is instructed to inform the Kohanim of a few important rules for them to follow in order to maintain their taharah (purity) that allows them to serve the general Jewish society’s spiritual needs. more

There is a legend regarding Moses Mendelssohn, the grandfather of the well-known German composer, who was far from being handsome (long with a rather short stature, he had a grotesque hunchback). One day he visited a merchant in Hamburg who had a lovely daughter named Frumtje.Moses fell helplessly in love with her, but Frumtje was repulsed by his misshapen appearance. more

"Turns out your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. See, mostly dead is still slightly alive” (Billy Crystal as Miracle Max the Wizard, in The Princess Bride). Last week, the U.S. sponsored talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, which had been MOSTLY dead for weeks, took its last breath. There is plenty of blame to pass around. more

"I believe that President [Mahmoud] Abbas is sincere about his willingness to recognize Israel and its right to exist, to recognize Israel’s legitimate security needs, to shun violence, to resolve these issues in a diplomatic fashion that meets the concerns of the people of Israel. And I think that this is a rare quality not just within the Palestinian territories, but in the Middle East generally.” more

The Hebrew Academy of Nassau County HS marked Yom Hashoah this past Monday in a meaningful program at which they reflected upon the Holocaust. The program featured a film of interviews created by students in the Holocaust Studies class, an essay reading presentation by the recipient of the Moshe Flescher Holocaust Memorial Scholarship, Leora Schwadron, and the presence of one of the survivors in the video, Mrs. Helen Rosenstark. more

It was a dark and somber environment as high school students at the Hebrew Academy of Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) commemorated Yom Hashoah on Monday. At an assembly Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen discussed his recent trip to Poland, which he took with a select group of seniors and faculty members Rabbi Moshe Hubner and Ms. Shira Oppen. more

They lined up in their blue race shirts on a chilly Sunday, the sky sapphire blue with a few white fluffy clouds, a perfect day for a run/walk in North Woodmere Park. The more serious runners were in front, stretching, warming up, the rest were milling around, chatting with friends and neighbors. more