Some children dream of being teachers; some, of lawyers. But Eli Beer, an Orthodox Jew who is the founder and president of Hatzolah United, has known since he was a young boy that his mission in life was to save lives. Beer recently gave a TED Talk that gathered praise from around the world. I […]
There is a story told about the late rabbi and physicist Aryeh Kaplan: As a teenager he began to explore Orthodox Judaism and spent a short time in yeshiva. After his brief stint, he wasn’t so convinced that observant life was for him, so he decided to leave. But he was a bit nervous as […]
It was a whirlwind trip to a conference in Israel. I was running on very little sleep and meeting all sorts of interesting people. I had just spoken to a woman – an only child – who had lost both of her parents before her 30th birthday. Then another woman explained how her father, with […]
Hey Hollywood producers and directors: We Orthodox Jews are not just the punchlines to your jokes. Try meeting us and learning about our nuances.
The Wall Street Journal has been very interested in Passover themed stories of late. A couple weeks ago I was quoted in an article about “Passover bagels” where the author wanted to know if eating foods that mimic chametz (leavened) is cheating. (Check out my answer and notice who was more lenient on the subject: me, […]
The Seder is a wonderful experience but it can be far more fulfilling if the leader understands what he’s doing and if all members of the family and guests are involved. Here are some tips to get the most out of your Seder: 1. Do your homework. If you were giving a speech at work, […]
