Sometimes it rains, and in the midst of autumn, the temperatures are not too encouraging of outdoor living, but for a number of local families, the mitzvah of living in a tabernacle for a week includes comfort items and a personal touch. more

Israel and Hamas are reportedly close to sealing a deal that would free captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. "We have concluded arduous negotiations with Hamas to release Gilad Shalit. He will be coming home in the next few days," Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference today following a meeting with his cabinet. more

If you would have collected a group of world-renowned military strategists on Oct. 6 1973, and asked them, at 4p.m. Israel time, for a prognosis on the status of the events unfolding on the Golan heights that afternoon, they would have probably told you Israel should be preparing the airport and shipping ports for a massive evacuation. more

Notwithstanding all the jokes about lawyers, there is no question that society would come to a grinding halt without legal counsel, and the role played by so many, in so many fields. From immigration to real estate, criminal cases to bankruptcy, lawyers act as intermediaries, guiding and often negotiating through difficult issues. It occurred to me recently that the very same principles that attorneys rely on in their everyday practice would likely make for a truly creative marriage guide. more

Dear Aviva, My husband and I are doing something that we never thought we would do. We are going to our son and his wife for the upcoming yomim tovim. First of all, we are only in our 50s and perfectly capable of still hosting the family. Second of all, our daughter-in-law is not quite domestic, and we are concerned that the food will not be up to par. (We have past experience with this). And third, our son has adopted various minhagim along the way and my husband gets pretty insulted that he doesn’t follow what he grew up with. I think we are in need of some survival tips. -Hungry and Offended more

Calendar for the week of Oct. 7, 2011 more

As our community prepares for the imminent arrival of the Yomim Tovim, The Eliezer Project (TEP) is working hard to help our clients. The Eliezer Project is a local organization that was created three years ago to help those residents of the Five Towns, Far Rockaway, and West Hempstead communities who are impacted by the economic crisis and are experiencing extreme financial crisis and job loss. more

There is an old story about a wedding that was attended by a prominent rabbi. The rabbi sat with the groom at his tish and throughout remained silent while others offered words of congratulations, heaping praise of the bride. At one point one of the rabbi’s students came up to him and asked “Isn’t it customary to always say something positive about a bride to her groom on the day of her wedding?” more

The exact origins of Kol Nidrei are lost in the sands of time. One of the earliest sources regarding our present practice is found in a responsum of Rav Natronai Gaon. It is quoted in the commentary of Rabbeinu Asher ben Yechiel, known as the “Rosh,” to Talmud Bavli, Yoma, 8:28: more

In our tradition, the High Holidays are viewed as a time period when all of humanity, not just its Jews, are judged for the coming year. more