Hi, Hope all is well. Is there a Jewish response to the dog fighting scandal? I think so. The first is obvious. We should be shocked by the brutality of it. And so should every decent human being. … But here are some less obvious thoughts. I think we should know that all “decent people” […]

Hi, Mazal Tov! Israel is 59 years old. … And here’s something to think about. Jerusalem. 70 CE. The Romans capture the city. Destroy the Temple. Sell hundreds of thousands of Jew as slaves. It looks like it’s all over! And this is such a big deal to the Romans? That they mint coins to […]

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, Many Jews may have been wondering at the Seder. “The Exodus? Splitting of the Sea? Why did G-d stop doing miracles?” … He didn’t! In fact one of His miracles is 58 years old today! Today is Yom Ha’atzmaut. Israeli Independence Day. Mazal Tov! … Here’s something I think about often. Especially on a […]

Hi, The Torah was written thousands of years ago! Sometimes it’s hard to believe. Take one of the most amazing commandments. “Love your neighbor like yourself”. I am G-d. (Leviticus, 19:18) … Picture how this would go over in Ancient Greece. Huh? “Do we have to be better than the gods? They’re jealous of each […]

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, …Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled to protect defendants in capital cases. It ruled that they can’t be brought into court with shackles. Because seeing the defendant in shackles makes an impression on the jury. “It almost always… affects the jury’s perception of the character of the defendant”. The court was split.  And some argued […]

Hi, Sorry I missed you yesterday. Believe me! I enjoy this much more than two hours at the dentist! … Jacob is about to be confronted by Esau. But not so fast. First, Jacob had a very mysterious experience.  (Genesis, 32:23-32) He had taken his family and his possessions across the river. And was now […]

Hi, It’s good to be back! Today is an important day in the Jewish calendar. The 17th day in the month of Tamuz. It’s a fast day.   Commemorating many tragedies that happened on this day. … It goes all the way back to the Torah. Over 3000 years ago. When Moshe comes down from Mount […]

Hi, Hope you’re having a great day! The Jewish People have been around for a very long time. And when we do things like Shabbat or Jewish holidays? We should feel part of a chain going back to Mount Sinai. Over 3300 years ago. And we should be inspired! … But there’s is a Jewish […]