All Dolled Up For The Holidays

Posted on: March 26th, 2009

"My mother always made the Jewish holidays lots of fun when we were growing up, so is it any wonder I started my own Judaica business?"

Settlers In Caravans

Posted on: March 18th, 2009

The term caravan often evokes images of weary travelers on camelback, nomads crossing through endless desert with no particular aim, and drifters and loners with regard for no one but themselves and the open road.

Settlers In Caravans

Posted on: March 18th, 2009

The term caravan often evokes images of weary travelers on camelback, nomads crossing through endless desert with no particular aim, and drifters and loners with regard for no one but themselves and the open road.

Not For The Faint-Hearted

Posted on: March 18th, 2009

I was driving home from New York with my family at the end of our vacation when my cell phone rang. Since we were in Tennessee and I wasn't sure if it was legal to talk on the phone, my wife picked it up and said, "Hello."

Not For The Faint-Hearted

Posted on: March 18th, 2009

I was driving home from New York with my family at the end of our vacation when my cell phone rang. Since we were in Tennessee and I wasn't sure if it was legal to talk on the phone, my wife picked it up and said, "Hello."

Will You Dream With Me?

Posted on: March 18th, 2009

One very cold, very dark evening in the middle of a particularly brutal Canadian winter, four cars were parked outside a home on a deserted side street of our Thornhill neighborhood.

Lipa Schmeltzer’s ‘Big Event’ A Big Success

Posted on: March 4th, 2009

Through rain, sleet, and snow . well maybe just snow, Jews from all over made it their business to attend this past Sunday night's Big Event at the WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden. Lipa Schmeltzer, along with other great Jewish entertainers, performed to an energized crowd of men, women, and children.

Lipa Schmeltzer’s ‘Big Event’ A Big Success

Posted on: March 4th, 2009

Through rain, sleet, and snow . well maybe just snow, Jews from all over made it their business to attend this past Sunday night's Big Event at the WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden. Lipa Schmeltzer, along with other great Jewish entertainers, performed to an energized crowd of men, women, and children.

From Funeral To Gala Dinner: ‘V’nahapoch Hu’ In The Five Towns

Posted on: March 4th, 2009

Twenty-four hours of tragedy turned to joy. A true v'nahapoch hu story for the month of Adar.

Connecting To The Person In Need

Posted on: February 25th, 2009

When a person goes through hard times words of encouragement can be a big lift. However, these well-intended words can backfire if they are seen as too unrealistic by the recipient and do not connect to what the person is going through.

A Day in the Life of A TIME:

Posted on: February 4th, 2009

A TIME is widely recognized and venerated as the nation's leading organization to offer support, advocacy, education, guidance and referrals to Jewish couples struggling with infertility. In order to accurately portray all that A TIME accomplishes on any given 24-hour period, I decided to spend a day with them and take note of the goings on. As an inconspicuous observer, I watched in awe and amazement as this group of special individuals took on all the daunting aspects associated with infertility.

A Day in the Life of A TIME:

Posted on: February 4th, 2009

A TIME is widely recognized and venerated as the nation's leading organization to offer support, advocacy, education, guidance and referrals to Jewish couples struggling with infertility. In order to accurately portray all that A TIME accomplishes on any given 24-hour period, I decided to spend a day with them and take note of the goings on. As an inconspicuous observer, I watched in awe and amazement as this group of special individuals took on all the daunting aspects associated with infertility.

Letters, Care Packages And Prayers: American Jews Encourage Israeli Soldiers

Posted on: January 21st, 2009

In many ways, the Israel Defense Forces has always been an army for all Jews. But in the war against Hamas that just ceased, American Jews were particularly engaged and aware of the soldiers' plight.

OU Israel Delivers Tefillin, Tzitzit And Siddurim To Soldiers

Posted on: January 21st, 2009

When soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces went into combat against Hamas in Gaza, they were armed with the highest level of military equipment Israel could provide them. Some of the soldiers were also armed with "spiritual ammunition" provided to them earlier this week by the Orthodox Union (OU), which delivered 102 packages consisting of tefillin, tzitzit and a siddur with Tehillim prepared especially for soldiers on the battlefield. The materials were brought to Gaza by Rabbi Avi Berman, director of OU Israel, and represent the first disbursement of the special fund created by the OU to provide the items to soldiers who wanted to add a spiritual component to their armament. Funding for these packages was provided by Beth Jacob Congregation of Beverly Hills, CA. In the next few weeks, hundreds more of these packages will be provided by the congregation to soldiers returning from Gaza. "The IDF arms the soldiers with their military weaponry; the OU's mission is to arm them with spiritual ammunition as they put their lives at risk," said OU Executive Vice President Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb. The fund-raising campaign is taking place in OU synagogues across North America. The tefillin delivered to the 102 soldiers on Sunday cost $33,000. Another 70 soldiers are on the waiting list to receive their packages. "Commanders who have been with the IDF for a long time were telling me that they didn't remember such a spiritual high in the army since the day after the Six-Day War," Rabbi Berman told The Jewish Press. "These tefillin represent Jews in America whose heart is with the soldiers who are risking their lives in Gaza. The soldiers are putting the tefillin on at a critical time in their lives, and the people who contributed are hoping that they will continue to do so forever and ever."

OU Israel Delivers Tefillin, Tzitzit And Siddurim To Soldiers

Posted on: January 21st, 2009

When soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces went into combat against Hamas in Gaza, they were armed with the highest level of military equipment Israel could provide them. Some of the soldiers were also armed with "spiritual ammunition" provided to them earlier this week by the Orthodox Union (OU), which delivered 102 packages consisting of tefillin, tzitzit and a siddur with Tehillim prepared especially for soldiers on the battlefield. The materials were brought to Gaza by Rabbi Avi Berman, director of OU Israel, and represent the first disbursement of the special fund created by the OU to provide the items to soldiers who wanted to add a spiritual component to their armament. Funding for these packages was provided by Beth Jacob Congregation of Beverly Hills, CA. In the next few weeks, hundreds more of these packages will be provided by the congregation to soldiers returning from Gaza. "The IDF arms the soldiers with their military weaponry; the OU's mission is to arm them with spiritual ammunition as they put their lives at risk," said OU Executive Vice President Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb. The fund-raising campaign is taking place in OU synagogues across North America. The tefillin delivered to the 102 soldiers on Sunday cost $33,000. Another 70 soldiers are on the waiting list to receive their packages. "Commanders who have been with the IDF for a long time were telling me that they didn't remember such a spiritual high in the army since the day after the Six-Day War," Rabbi Berman told The Jewish Press. "These tefillin represent Jews in America whose heart is with the soldiers who are risking their lives in Gaza. The soldiers are putting the tefillin on at a critical time in their lives, and the people who contributed are hoping that they will continue to do so forever and ever."

A Made-In-Israel Chanukah Story

Posted on: December 29th, 2008

Last year on the seventh morning of Chanukah our phone stopped working. It wasn't completely dead; it was still receiving calls and placing outgoing ones. But there was a funny kind of static on the line.

A Made-In-Israel Chanukah Story

Posted on: December 29th, 2008

Last year on the seventh morning of Chanukah our phone stopped working. It wasn't completely dead; it was still receiving calls and placing outgoing ones. But there was a funny kind of static on the line.

Conference Encourages Shuls and Yeshivas to Open Shop

Posted on: December 24th, 2008

Like many, yeshivas and shuls have taken a financial hit during this recession. A good way for them to make extra money would be by thinking like entrepreneurs.

Aliyah Journal: Giving Birth To My First Sabra

Posted on: December 19th, 2008

As readers of this column know, our aliyah experience has been studded with many "firsts." Baruch Hashem, as of a few weeks ago, I can proudly add a new one to the list: my first Sabra.

Aliyah Journal: Giving Birth To My First Sabra

Posted on: December 19th, 2008

As readers of this column know, our aliyah experience has been studded with many "firsts." Baruch Hashem, as of a few weeks ago, I can proudly add a new one to the list: my first Sabra.