Posted on: May 13th, 2009

Among the missions left unfinished after the passing of Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Yossie Raichik was the completion of a Torah Scroll for a synagogue bearing his ancestor's name. That changed last week as his widow, Dina Raichik, joined a procession of hundreds of singing celebrants through the streets of Krakow, Poland's historic Jewish quarter, to finally welcome the Holy Scroll in the centuries-old Rema Synagogue.

Posted on: May 6th, 2009

Many members of the baby boomer generation have now become caregivers. It was part of the baby boomers' assumed character as young women to be the group that could do it all. We would work, raise our children, and go on to advanced degrees - all at the same time and with no help needed from anyone. Asking for help was not part of our persona. We were Superwoman. Our daughters, growing up in our homes, must have thought we were crazy.

Posted on: May 6th, 2009

My mother's recent yahrzeit after Pesach, coupled with Yom HaZikaron and recent Yom Tovim and Shabbatot spent with my children and grandchildren, has cemented my belief that I was robbed of a major life asset - my grandparents. While I knew that having them was a life-enhancing relationship, I didn't truly comprehend it until I became one.

Posted on: May 6th, 2009

The Museum Of The History Of Polish Jews, based in Warsaw, for a long time has had an office in New York City. With limited staff and resources, the chairman of the North American Council of the museum, Mr. Sigmund Rolat, has worked tirelessly to promote the museum through arranging events. Recently with the growth of activities both in Poland and in the U.S. it was decided to enlarge the North American Council staff. To that goal Robert Socolof has been appointed executive director of North American Council for the Museum Of The History Of Polish Jews.

Posted on: May 6th, 2009

The Museum Of The History Of Polish Jews, based in Warsaw, for a long time has had an office in New York City. With limited staff and resources, the chairman of the North American Council of the museum, Mr. Sigmund Rolat, has worked tirelessly to promote the museum through arranging events. Recently with the growth of activities both in Poland and in the U.S. it was decided to enlarge the North American Council staff. To that goal Robert Socolof has been appointed executive director of North American Council for the Museum Of The History Of Polish Jews.

Posted on: May 6th, 2009

I've long been familiar with the saying "Man proposes and G-d disposes," but the depth of its meaning was recently brought home to me suddenly and unexpectedly.

Posted on: May 6th, 2009

On any given week, one can hear Aaron Klein's voice on the radio or read his articles online or in print media. Now, this investigative Jewish Press columnist, WorldNetDaily.com Jerusalem bureau chief, and author of Schmoozing With Terrorists has completed his second book with the provocative title The Late Great State of Israel. He recently spoke about his new book with The Jewish Press.

Posted on: April 29th, 2009

Are we Teaching Sinas Chinam (Baseless hatred)?

Posted on: April 29th, 2009

Naphtali Moses Taylor Phillips, generally known as N. Taylor Phillips, was a descendent of one of America's first Jewish families. His great-great-great grandfather, Dr. Samuel Nunes (Nunez) Ribeiro and his great-great grandmother, Zipporah were among the first group of Jews to arrive in Savannah, Georgia in 1733. Zipporah married David Mendes Machado, who served as the chazzan of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York from 1737 until his passing in 1747.

Posted on: April 22nd, 2009

Last week I wrote about the difficulty of enforcing a tznius standard in some of our schools. I reported the stories of two children of the chronically ill, who by circumstances not of their doing could not meet the "tznius" criteria set by the school and kept being fined for infractions.

Posted on: April 22nd, 2009

Over the years, I have been to many, many theatrical productions, most in Toronto, some in Israel and of course, in New York - on Broadway, off-Broadway, and even off-off Broadway. At times I have been entertained, amused, moved, and educated by what I have seen ( and on the negative side, sometimes bored or disgusted or angered) but I don't think that I have ever been imbued with a much needed sense of hope.

Posted on: April 22nd, 2009

A Manhattan street corner has been named after a Polish World War II hero who brought early eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust to the West. Madison Avenue at 37th Street was designated Jan Karski Corner. A statue of him stands there, in front of the Polish Consulate.

Posted on: April 22nd, 2009

A Manhattan street corner has been named after a Polish World War II hero who brought early eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust to the West. Madison Avenue at 37th Street was designated Jan Karski Corner. A statue of him stands there, in front of the Polish Consulate.

Posted on: April 17th, 2009

Problems Faced Due to Compromised Tznius

Posted on: April 17th, 2009

Every year, Pesach is one of the most celebrated holidays throughout the world - and Pesach in Poland is no exception. This year there were numerous private and public sederim around the country.

Posted on: April 7th, 2009

I spoke with a group of former well spouses. They began the support group as caregivers and helped each other navigate the difficult practical and emotional minefields through which they all traveled. As the years passed, many were widowed but stayed on in the original support group to help others. Over time, as more of them lost their spouses to chronic illness, they began to realize that they were now all coping with a different set of emotions.

Posted on: April 1st, 2009

Doubt is a very powerful force. It slowly erodes what we know to be true. It can undermine our self-confidence and even change our reality. Doubt comes from many sources and very often in the form of innocuous comments from friends and family.

Posted on: April 1st, 2009

Naphtali Phillips, the ninth child of Rebecca Machado and Jonas Phillips, was born in New York on October 19, 1773. His great-grandfather was Dr. Samuel Nunes Ribeiro, an escapee from the Portuguese Inquisition1 who became one of the first Jewish settlers of Savannah, GA.2 His maternal grandparents were Zipporah Nunes and David Mendes Machado.3 David Machado also escaped from the Inquisition in Portugal and served for a number of years as the chazzan and Torah teacher of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York.

Posted on: April 1st, 2009

Purim in Tarnow        On March 9, 2009, the first Purim celebrations in many years took place in Tarnow. The program included the reading of Megillat Esther and tasting traditional Jewish dishes. The event was organized by The Michael H. Traison Fund for Poland; the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland; […]

Posted on: March 26th, 2009

Before you begin preparing for an interview - a word of caution. If you went through this process easily in the past, don't expect a repeat performance. Moreover, if you're still following the advice of gurus like John Crystal and Jeff Allen; don't. Their advice is obsolete. In 2009 there is a new reality, and unless you are mentally and emotionally prepared for it, you're in for a rude awakening.