Recently, as I daven (pray), there is something that continues to leap out at me. Each time I say a bracha (blessing), I think about the fact that it begins by addressing God in the second-person, Baruch ATAH (Blessed are YOU). As I utter those first two words I am speaking to God, rather than about Him, […]
Netanyahu Appoints Rabbi Drukman’s Student as Next Mossad Chief – “With Cohen’s appointment, three of Israel’s top security officials — the heads of Mossad, the Shabak chief, and police commissioner — are now observant Jews.” Orthodox Jews Grapple With How to Talk About Sexual Assault, Domestic Abuse – More than 1,000 ultra-Orthodox and Orthodox Jews from around the world […]
Last week in Israel, there was a gathering of Charedi rabbis who banned college for women outside of of the “Beis Yaakov” system. Being that I am neither Charedi, nor Israeli, this news did not feel very impactful to me. The Orthodox rabbis that I go to (I’d describe them as “centrist” or “right-wing Modern […]
As Chanukah shines on and you begin to have latke ennui or at least latke leftovers, here’s a fun way to mix things up. Whip up a batch of loaded “potato skins” latkes. Loaded potato skins are a throwback from my non-kosher days: crispy potato skins topped with melted cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour […]
Last week, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, in honor of the birth of his daughter – in order to make the world a better place for her and everyone else – pledged 99% of his Facebook shares (which are currently worth $45 billion dollars) to charity. He explained that the money would be used towards feeding […]
Long ago, when I was a very young child, I came to know a teenage girl named Henny Lustig. From my deeply naive perspective, she seemed vibrant and alive in a way I had never before encountered. She was enthralled by the world around her and the people populating it. It wasn’t hard to get caught up […]
