Magazine

Question: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving?

Whenever I go to nursing homes, I often wonder how the professionals see the residents.

Abraham Lincoln didn't hold a grudge. In 1862 when he visited General McClellan in his house to discuss strategy and was ignored by the general, Lincoln took it in stride.

Communication is both verbal and nonverbal. We tell our children how to behave.

It's hard to imagine life without them, and yet they almost never came into being.

It was one of those cold, rain-soaked evenings - the kind that make you look forward to a hot drink, a good book and a soft couch to curl up on.

The cemetery in Lodz is said to be one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe, with about 230,000 graves.

In this five-part series I have tried to explain what works and what doesn't when trying to send a message of support to someone in a time of crisis.

"A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages.

The name Radegast Station might not be familiar to most people.

Last week I gave examples of supportive messages to people in crisis.

In 1527 the Spanish took possession of Curacao.

"You're going to give four years of your life to the country and this job.

The question that is on many people's mind these days is why the organizers of the international "Pride Parade" chose the holy city of Jerusalem as the venue for their exhibition.

For the last two weeks I have been sharing parts of a well-meaning but inappropriate, advice-filled, e-mail that was sent to a well spouse through a third party.

An exhibit commemorating the Jewish community of Czestochowa, which has been traveling the world for the past two years, culminated in the gathering of more than 200 people who went there for a special reunion during Sukkot. These remnants and descendants of a community of more than 30,000 came from the U.S., Israel, South America, Australia and Europe.

Last week I began sharing a well-intentioned letter that was e-mailed to a well spouse and her hospitalized husband.

This summer there was a big hue and cry over the anti-Jewish rants uttered by a very drunk Mel Gibson after he was stopped by police for driving like a ...drunk - out of control, with an inability to think and judge clearly.

During Chol Hamoed Sukkot the sound of singing in a sukkah was heard in Czestochowa for the first time since the Shoah.

People, with the utmost concern and caring, tend to give advice. And to them the advice makes sense, eminent sense.

On Yom Kippur, I was in Kiev after having participated in the commemorations at Babi Yar.

When I met with recently widowed well spouses, who were kind enough to share their feelings with me, they were also very eager to share practical things they did that help make their transition to being widowed easier.

Places like Barbados, Curacao, Jamaica, Tobago, the Lesser Antilles, and St. Eustatia probably conjure up, in the minds of many Jewish Press readers, visions of vacation resorts.

The tradition of sitting shiva is a great help with grieving. For many people shiva is a buffer that helps you cope immediately with your tremendous grief.

As of Tzom Gedalia, Sept. 25, I will be on a trip to Ukraine and Poland.

Because of the nature of chronic illness, the spouse will often be hospitalized or in a nursing home when it is time to depart this world.

The Days of Awe are quickly approaching, a time that we focus on what the future will hold for our families and us.

Last week, President Lech Kaczynski of Poland visited Israel, where he participated in many events in support of Israel and the Jewish community in Poland.

When a spouse is chronically ill, chances are you may be called to the hospital several times in the course of the illness, to say goodbye.

For the last two weeks I have written about cemetery restoration in Poland. This week I present a report from the Foundation for the Preservation of the Jewish Heritage in Poland, which has done tremendous work in the field. The first half of 2006 has been a busy time for the Foundation for the Preservation of the Jewish Heritage in Poland. The Foundation has cleared up ten Jewish cemeteries and fenced four of them, erected monuments or memorial plaques commemorating pre-war Jewish communities in five towns and is currently restoring four synagogues.