Hi – Hope you’re having a great day. … Snow … There’s something about it. Kids love it. It’s great to watch them play in it. It makes you want to run for the camera. (Or whip out the cell phone!) And there’s something else. Because when it comes to snow? Even when we’ve grown […]

Hi, Hope you’re having a great day. … Before I get to Purim? Nobel Prizes were awarded at the end of 2011. And, as usual, the question was raised. How many Jews? The answer? Five out of thirteen! And as usual, another question was raised. What percentage of the world’s population is Jewish? The answer? […]

    Hi, Hope you’re having a great day. Here’s a thought for the Seder. The Torah has an interesting name for the Seder night. It calls it ‘a night of anticipation for G-d’   (Exodus, 12:42).  A time that G-d was “looking forward” to. For how long? … Since the creation of the universe! Because […]

Hi, Hope you’re having a great day. The Torah Minute is starting its 6th year. And how old is the Torah? Jewish tradition says approximately 3300 years. The Exodus took place around 1300 B.C.E. and we went on to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. Secular historians who don’t accept Jewish tradition? Many have been […]

Hi, Yesterday I said this is a great time for Jewish growth. So I’m going to do something that Jews are used to. Make an appeal! But with a twist. This one is not for money! … I think of Entebbe, Uganda. 1976. An air France plane is hijacked by Arab terrorists. At one point, […]

Hi, This Saturday night and Sunday is Tisha B’av.  The ninth day of the Jewish month of Av. The saddest day in the Jewish calendar. Many tragedies happened to the Jewish People on that day throughout history. Including the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem by the Romans in the year 70. … For two […]

Hi, One more thing before we leave the Golden Calf. This story goes back 3300 years ago. Moshe came down from Mount Sinai with the Tablets. The Ten Commandments. He saw the Golden Calf.  And smashed the Tablets. The date? Seventeenth day in the Jewish month of Tamuz. According to Jewish tradition, that day was […]

Hi, Happy Chanukah! What better time could there be to get back to the Torah Minute? After all, Torah is what Chanukah is all about. … We’ve all heard the story. The Greeks tried to destroy Judaism.  And impose Greek culture on the Jews. Torah scrolls were burned.  And Torah study became a capital offense. […]

Hi, Here’s something to think about as we sit down to the Seder. …We read about the great Rabbi Akiva and five other Rabbis of the Talmud. How they stayed up all night talking about the Exodus from Egypt. And it’s easy for this story to get overlooked. Especially when everyone smells the delicious food! […]

Hi, Yesterday we spoke about Miriam. And it made me think about something else. … I make a point of not discussing politics in the Torah Minute. You don’t need a Rabbi for that! And I surely don’t talk about baseball! Jewish tradition doesn’t usually have a compelling position on that! But today? I wanted […]