Awkward
A Shiva visit can be awkward. Should you sit quietly or say something wise, should you offer to help or just offer a comforting hug? Most people don’t know what to do and devise creative solutions. Some give the mourner a quiet hug and a grave sigh before retreating to …
The Gardens
Seeking an escape from the fast pace of the big city, I used to visit the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Strolling along quiet lanes, I would breathe in the fragrance and enjoy the scenic beauty. Sitting peacefully by the pond, I would close my eyes and try to leave the city …
As we enter the new year the catchword in the Jewish world is the word “disengagement.” Some are in favor, others opposed but everyone is talking about it. Should Jews voluntarily disengage from portions of the holy-land or are our ties to our country too deep to easily disengage? It is interesting …
When our ancestors traveled through the desert, they were nourished by Manna that fell miraculously from heaven every morning of the week with the exception of Shabbat. There was no Manna on Shabbat; instead two portions fell on Friday, one for Friday, the other for Shabbat.
Nevertheless, the Zohar, the seminal …
These past two days have been the most difficult for our people in the last fifty years. It was Simchat Torah, a time for rejoicing, yet it was a time of horror. Nearly a thousand members of our family were brutally murdered, more than a hundred were taken hostage, and …
