With the advent of the month of Tammuz now almost a week behind us, it is time to consider some of the better quality literature that will surely help us to understand the themes that make this season the most somber on the Jewish calendar. more

Bilaam desperately wants to go with King Balak’s men to fulfill what he believes is his destiny to curse the Jewish people. Knowing of his own relationship with G-d, however, he will not accept the job until he is given permission from G-d. He makes this quite clear to Balak’s first agents. more

Congregation Havurat Yisrael, a modern Orthodox synagogue in Forest Hills, has found a temporary home while their new synagogue is being built. Since a construction accident by their neighbor damaged their 70th Avenue building in 1998, Havurat Yisrael has been a shul without a home. more

One year ago, the Queens-raised Goldy Krantz, 30, took stock of her most unusual shidduch dates, putting them in print as Best of my Worst. Since then, she has become a sought-after speaker at singles events, even while insisting that her views are personal and by no means an indicator of her expertise on the topic. The social worker took time from her dates to sit down with this author for a chat. more

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that the date of the special election to fill Anthony Weiner’s seat in Congress for Primary Day, September 13. more

Aish Kodesh treasurer Isaac Zucker, 47 was arrested on June 29 at a hotel outside the Long Island-MacArthur Airport, charged with pocketing $600,000 from the Woodmere congregation. Nassau County … more

The Jewish Star staff welcomes Rachel Green as our summer intern. Rachel grew up in Woodmere and is a junior at North Shore Hebrew Academy. When Rachel is not practicing journalism, she practices art … more

Calendar for the week of July 1, 2011 more

Dear Aviva, My husband and I can’t seem to make ends meet. I know a lot of people have this problem. We are very, very frugal and can’t seem to tighten our belts any more. I am considering going back to school. I already have one semester of college credits from when I was single. But I am interested in going for a Masters, so it will be a very long haul. Is it a realistic goal to meet while still being a good wife, mother and homemaker? -Possible Juggler more

Anyone who has ever been to Israel, be it for seminary, yeshiva, a family trip, on a business trip or through Birthright, will probably be willing to count shwarma amongst their favorite foods. For those not in the know, shwarma is mix of marinated meat (usually turkey, veal or lamb) and fat that is placed on a spit and then slow roasted. Often eaten in a pita or lafa, shwarma is unquestionably the most common street food in Israel. This omnipresence coupled with its low cost and sheer deliciousness is what so endears shwarma to Israeli tourists. The problem is that shwarma is a very complex dish to make and is nearly impossible to replicate in the home. Many American kosher restaurants make valiant attempts to replicate the common Israeli dish, but most times they fail to faithfully recreate the authentic flavor of shwarma’s Middle Eastern roots. more