The Yale Five (II)
Since the students knew the housing rules in advance they should not have picked Yale hoping for an exception in their instance.
Jewish Practice In The U.S. Military (VIII)
Somehow, Simcha Goldman wearing a yarmulke in uniform was perceived as an act of insurrection that could weaken the very foundations of the military. But how?
Swords Of Iron, Hearts Of Gold
The sense of brotherhood is so genuine because aside from the fact that Israel is now caught in an existential struggle, it is fighting as a family.
President Truman’s Recognition Of Israel
Eight days after Truman became president, he was visited by a Zionist delegation headed by Rabbi Steven S. Wise. The President told his guests that he supported the Zionist goals, but he was very concerned about opposition from the State Department.
Reb Elimelech M’Lizhensk (Part VIII)
Scholars have debated where precisely the Baal Shem Tov was born, few giving credence to the tiny village of Okopy (pronounced Akup). Most likely he hailed from Kolomyya on the slopes of the Carpathian Mountains and on the banks of the Prut River. Nearly 300 years have lapsed since the passing of the Baal Shem Tov and all the while the stories of his miraculous abilities have increased. Yet all fail to fully portray his greatness.
Reb Elimelech’s Ascent To Leadership (Part XIII)
In 1648 and 1649 Bogdan Chmelnitzky and his hordes of Cossack warriors perpetrated an annihilation campaign against the Jews of Poland and the Ukraine....
Rabbi Yehuda Kelemer, zt”l, And The Gedolim
The technician was certain that the Rabbi intended to upbraid him personally for having caused him discomfort and for attempting to continue against his will. Rav Moshe, however, had something else in mind.
The Ultimate (Heartfelt) Improbable Tale
According to the information that he was given, his good friend from Auschwitz, Yozo Weiss, was now a taxi driver in Tel Aviv! Lonely Latzi just had to find Yozo.
The Kielce Pogrom
The Poles were also fearful that the Jews who had returned to Kielce would reclaim their prewar houses and businesses.
Reb Elimelech’s Ascent To Leadership (Part XI)
On the sad day that Eliezer Lipman, Reb Elimelch and Reb Zusha’s father, passed from this world, his children gathered for the week of mourning. At the conclusion of the shivah the sons divided their father’s inheritance in the following way: Avraham received the cash and the house was given to Nosson. The jewelry and housewares went to Elimelech and the outstanding debts were to be collected by Zusha.
Reb Elimelech M’Lizhensk (Part VI)
The popularity of the rise of chassidus did not go unnoticed by those who did not share the same allegiance. As long as the movement was limited to the commoner and isolated in a few pockets of Poland no one perceived it as a threat. But all of this had changed by 1772.
Light Bulb Lady
A bright idea...
Guard Your Influence (II)
A person's environment can work for the good or the bad; but it works more powerfully for the bad.
The Rubashkin Saga – XVI
Another installment in the ongoing Rubashkin saga
The Rubashkin Saga – VII
The ongoing Rubashkin saga has a new character--the unions.
The Celestial Phone Call
So why then are we not attentive enough to all of the signs that surround us? I have not the psychological training to analyze this question, but what seems clear is that slumber is not only restricted to our beds.
The Farhud
These anti-British forces formed a pro-German government, winning the support of the Iraqi Army and administration. They had hoped that an Axis victory in the war would facilitate independence for Iraq.
The Typewriter Repairman Who Saved Lives
Since the restructuring of my column at The Jewish Press, we have been focusing on the Jewish tenet that whatever G-d does, His interest is our good – even if we fail to see how events are for our betterment. Here is an example with a compelling script.
The Rubashkin Saga – XVII
Another installment in the Rubashkin saga.
Breakfast and Happiness (II)
One of the ancillary axioms of cornflake fights is that they can never be contained between just two warring parties.
Reb Elimelech’s Ascent To Leadership (Part XII)
Wandering from town to village, the Holy Brothers neglected their physical needs and were sustained by meager coins or scraps of food that were donated along the way.
The Rubashkin Saga (Part II)
With the opening of Agri in 1987, Postville was beset with what the locals dubbed, “The Jewish Invasion.” The arrival of the Jews caused a local polarization.
The Breakfast Of Champions (Part II)
Brief synopsis: Monona Grove High School in Wisconsin was a most unlikely candidate to make it to the 1998 high school basketball championships, referred to as “State.” Especially so since the coach is a very young rookie named Dan Zweifel, who replaced the veteran Coach Verhelst. Andy Witte, the team’s star player, will do anything to please Coach V.
Ascending The Ladder
One-out-of-three is not the kind of language that Dr. Weinblatt would ever employ, let alone even allow himself to think. The man is a fount of hope.
When I Was The Hole Of The Bagel
Because I have been teaching and lecturing for decades, a lot of people have seen and heard me, making me a likely subject for bageling. Often the gesture is less discreet and takes the form of frontal gawking and waving.
Jewish Practice In The U.S. Military (V)
Goldman's fight against the entire military establishment was stressful yet, oddly, exhilarating. He felt the Almighty was tapping him on the shoulder, whispering, “I want you to pull this off for Me”
A Tribute To Lion Of Justice Norman Rosenbaum, z”l (Part 2)
Nelson’s pocket contained a bloody switchblade with the word “killer” inscribed on the handle. In that same pants pocket were three bloodstained one-dollar bills. The bloodstains were consistent with Rosenbaum’s blood type but not Nelson’s.
The Breakfast Of Champions (Conclusion)
Overtime proved to be as tense and white-knuckled as the fourth quarter. Halfway through, New London grabbed a defensive rebound and charging toward their basket when Monona’s forward poked away the ball and broke away. In a slick maneuver he managed to split the defense and went up virtually slamming it to give Monona Grove the lead.
Look Inside Before Condemning Others
The end of the story is that my wife and family are pleased with the new oven. (This was pretty much a win-win as the old oven barely cooked, and anything with a functional heating element would have been an improvement.)
What Was The Gravest Crisis Of Israeli Democracy?
Although many Israelis realized how important the reparations agreement was for the economy and safety of Israel, nonetheless, for survivors and non-survivors alike, the notion that money could somehow atone for the suffering and mass murder inflicted upon the Jewish people was utterly unconscionable.