Potpourri

Veteran pro-Israel activist Herbert Zweibon, founder and chairman of Americans for a Safe Israel/AFSI, passed away in New York on Jan. 20 at age 84.

It’s true. My Zionism was made in China. I grew up in New Jersey in a town that was nearly one third Jewish. Everyone on my street was Jewish. Half my soccer team was Jewish. In Synagogue, my Cantor infused every message with Zionism, as did his wife and children. To my parents this was pure mishugas.

Approximately 15 years ago Ken Wiesen, the man responsible for resurrecting Turkish Taffy, was reminiscing with a friend about their childhood favorites and he was confident that while Bonomo's signature product could not be found in the New York area, it had to be available somewhere. Wiesen headed for an Internet caf? and was shocked to discover that the candy was still the subject of Internet chatter - from people who were lamenting its loss, to others who were looking to locate the sugary treasure, plus people who were drawing up petitions to bring back Turkish Taffy.

In his lifetime, he was a positive influence on so many, always inspiring others to be better while at the same time, working on his own character.

It's another Chanukah miracle: a small group of Jewish men defy the odds and emerge victorious. But this time there was no war, no bloodshed and instead of an army of Maccabees, the conquering heroes are the a cappella group Maccabeats, 14 current and former students from Yeshiva University. Their hit song "Candlelight," a take-off on Taio Cruz's "Dynamite," has gone viral and reached over two million hits on YouTube in just 10 days.

Zevi Kaufman is not your typical singer/songwriter. While most singers find themselves in and out of the recording studio in the final weeks before the release of their album, Kaufman finds himself in and out of the Beis Medrash at Yerushalayim's Yeshivas Aderes Hatorah, where the 20-year-old Flatbush native is currently learning.

With 400,000 copies of her popular cookbooks already sold, kosher cookbook queen Susie Fishbein has become a household name. Her full-color glossy photographs and never-ending supply of innovative, upscale, and tantalizing recipes that just happen to be kosher single-handedly changed the face of kosher cookbooks forever. But it is her newly released seventh cookbook, Kosher by Design: Teens and 20-Somethings, that may be her bestselling cookbook yet.

The scenario repeats itself over and over. You read a job listing and with each qualification they desire you become increasingly more excited - this one is in the bag. So you send off your resume and wait with hopeful anticipation that quickly morphs into self-doubting anxiety when that response fails to come. At times it may feel like your resume just sinks to the bottom of a never-ending pile, regardless of how perfect you are for the position. In actuality, however, your resume might not have even made it through the computerized screening process employers utilize, never reaching human eyes. And if it has, it may be one wrong word that landed yours in the recycle bin.

Have you ever Googled your own name? That may not be a question you hear often, but when you take the time to do so, you may be surprised by what you find. Believe it or not, most employers Google the names of perspective employment candidates to see what they can find, and you do not want them to find your Purim pictures on Facebook.

Ever since ISROYAL started the VIP service for travel to Israel, I have signed on for every flight. Every time I land in Israel, someone is waiting for me as I disembark from the plane, to take my bag and whisk me away to passport control and collect my suitcases. And then off to Jerusalem I go. If my suitcases are not held up by the baggage handlers, the whole process from start to finish is less than 30 minutes. The VIP service really makes one feel like royalty.

Dear G-d,   As a mourning Yesoma sadly left behind I've been turning things over and over in my mind And have resolved to speak directly to You,...

Educational degrees in both teaching and administration abound. But when it comes to managing schools, few universities offer courses devoted to helping school principals and other administrators learn the management skills necessary to successfully run a school - specifically, a Jewish school.

Who are all these ladies with the gray hair and/or sheitels? We are all looking into each other's faces for a glimmer of recognition. Thank goodness everyone has a nametag; it makes it so much easier to identify each person.

Dear Young and Not Pressured: I am responding to your letter from two weeks ago. I take issue with both your general message and with...

Now that you know how to research companies before an interview, the next step in the process is to present the proper image and be fully prepared for the face-to-face meeting.

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.

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.

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.

If you are old enough, you may remember how your job search was predicated on getting a head start on the Sunday editions of the New York Times and the New York Daily News and making a list of all the places you would call and all the resumes you would mail out on Monday morning.

Advanced technology allows information to flow instantly 24/7/365, which is why job boards have become larger and more sophisticated. But before you boot up your computer, you need to know which boards to use.