My wife’s maternal grandmother was a wise old woman, raised in the Old City of Jerusalem where she accumulated wisdom from her Yiddish-speaking family and the diverse Jerusalemites who … more

Except for the saints among us, we all boast. Sometimes we boast about our own natural endowments, our good looks, or our athletic prowess. Often we boast about our achievements, social or … more

It was at a house of mourning, and she was saying something that I had heard many times before. In fact, I had said it myself when I was sitting shiva for my own … more

We all nod in agreement when we hear the phrase, “Two Jews, three opinions.” We similarly chuckle when we hear the anecdote about the Jew who was discovered after years of living … more

Imagine standing at a crossroads. We have all been there. We have all experienced moments in our life’s journey when we had to make a crucial choice and decide whether to proceed along one … more

I no longer remember which Israeli artist colony I was visiting. Perhaps Jaffa. But I will never forget the crude, almost primitive paintings on exhibit, each different in color, style, and … more

I am sure that you have a most favorite activity — and a least favorite. I know that I do. My most favorite activity is visiting Israel. One of the experiences I especially cherish … more

The Ten Commandments and the Book of Ruth are each as important to the intellectual appreciation and religious experience of Shavuot as blintzes and cheesecake are to the culinary celebration of … more

It is a lesson I first learned in a course I took long ago on the skills of interviewing. The instructor taught us that the way to really size up a candidate for a job is to determine how he uses … more

Carl Jung had an anti-Semitic streak and was, at least for a time, sympathetic to the Nazi cause. Yet he was one of the major psychological theorists of the 20th century, and his insights into … more