On 9/11/01 I was in my office and received an IM from my brother telling me of the first plane crash. Taking advantage that my employer was Nickelodeon and there was a TV in my office, I tuned into the news and saw what I thought was a replay of the crash…it wasn’t a replay, it was the second plane. more

Let’s just have Tishri. Sound the shofar, wear the white, beat the chest, bend the knee and round the challah. Why do we need Elul? Why don’t we just jump into the pomp and the pomegranate, the penance and the piyyut? Why do we need Elul? Say the slichos and the ‘sorrys,’ shlep out the tshuvas and shlug kaparos. Why do we need Elul? Don the kittel and dip the apple, really fast and release the vows. more

The end of summer is a time of campaigns, when we are faced with back to school mania, primary elections, purchasing High Holiday seats, checking to make sure we have flood insurance against Nor’easters so powerful they make Irene look like a trickle. The weeks of comfort dwindle as we count off Re’eh, Shoftim, Ki Teitze… like stations on a train line as we approach our final destination, where our deeds are held to account. more

When rabbis graduate from Yeshiva University, they are offered placement in communities around the nation, and under its Institute for University-School Partnership, 20 fellows are dispersed among 16 schools, with full tuition and stipends provided, so that they could focus fully on teaching in their new homes. more

The warnings were dire, with a mandatory evacuation order issued for the 330,000 residents of Zone A, the low-lying coastal section of New York City that includes Staten Island’s south shore, Coney Island, and the Rockaway peninsula. “This is the storm where if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, it could be fatal,” New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. “Comply with the mandatory evacuation.” more

With Elul ushering in the High Holidays, a group of local women are seeking to “tip the scales in our favor,” with a campaign of kindness, with a kick-off event on Tuesday at Lawrence Middle School. Guided by Rabbi Dovid Weinberger of Lawrence, the event includes a website, literature, and lectures. more

The following email was sent from the Achiezer Organization to residents of Far Rockaway and the Five Towns on Thursday evening. more

Last month, 15 secular newspapers throughout Canada reported on a historic psak din issued by Montreal’s Beth Din of the Vaad Ha’ir urging parents to teach their children about inappropriate touching. more

No, this is not about some politically correct feminist work. “Shaarei Simcha” [Ktav Publishing House.2007] is a delightful carefully researched and comprehensive prayer guide and bencher for every English speaking Jewish household. more

The Jewish Star proudly presents its Back to School guide for 2011. Below is a selection of local colleges which submitted information to this newspaper. more