Process, Loss and History

Posted on: September 1st, 2010

New York has gone through a William Kentridge craze this year. There have been scattered exhibitions in galleries throughout the cities, in addition to lectures and live performances. From the blockbuster Five Themes show at the MoMA, the Metropolitan Opera's production of Kentridge's directed-and-designed multimedia version of Shostakovich's The Nose, the South African artist has been a dominant voice on the New York art scene. For those who missed the incredible MoMA retrospective-or for those who simply wish for another Kentridge fix-a final salvo can be caught at the Jewish Museum's exhibition of part of Kentridge's Nine Drawings for Projection series.

Anything But Your Grandmother’s Candle Sticks: Contemporary Judaica

Posted on: August 25th, 2010

A tallit with pastel-colored circular candies on the atarah (literally crown, the top, embellished portion of the garment); a hand held golden bulldozer used to collect chametz on Passover; a mezuzah that shows the three letter name of God (shin, daled, yud, the Sustainer) on a computer keyboard above an "Enter" button, where the text of the mezuzah appears (in the typography of a Torah scroll) on the monitor.

Anything But Your Grandmother’s Candle Sticks: Contemporary Judaica

Posted on: August 25th, 2010

A tallit with pastel-colored circular candies on the atarah (literally crown, the top, embellished portion of the garment); a hand held golden bulldozer used to collect chametz on Passover; a mezuzah that shows the three letter name of God (shin, daled, yud, the Sustainer) on a computer keyboard above an "Enter" button, where the text of the mezuzah appears (in the typography of a Torah scroll) on the monitor.

How Jewish Is Rembrandt’s ‘Jewish’ Bride?

Posted on: August 11th, 2010

As I sit to write this article less than a week before my wedding, my mind keeps returning to a particular work, which one must grapple with if one intends to take the history of Jewish art seriously.

Tending The Garden

Posted on: May 30th, 2007

I'm often asked why it is that men played such a major role in Jewish history.

An Illuminating Darkness

Posted on: January 3rd, 2007

"Wouldn't it be nice if the days were long all year round?" commented my son at six o'clock in the evening as we sat down to dinner to the backdrop of the completely black outdoors.

Rachel And Leah – Two Destinies, Two Worlds

Posted on: November 1st, 2006

Rachel and Leah - two sisters, two wives of Yaakov, and two of the Matriarchs of our People;

Woman And The Forbidden Fruit

Posted on: October 18th, 2006

The sin of the Etz HaDa'at, the Tree of Knowledge is one of the most perplexing episodes in the Torah.

Turbulence

Posted on: February 7th, 2012

Turbulence. There is Turbulence Up here. In the air.

Perfect

Posted on: February 7th, 2012

Daven brachos. I hardly knew where the thought came from. I was lying in bed, so weak I could not move, too tired to contemplate getting up. But it's better to say brachos lying down then not to say them at all.

Savory Slow Cooker Meals

Posted on: February 7th, 2012

You know the way your house smells on Friday night when the cholent is bubbling away in the crockpot? Did you ever think of using that crock-pot or slow cooker during the week? Well, I did and I had no idea one slow cooker could create so many tasty dishes, all easy to whip up and full of flavor.

A Candyless Purim?

Posted on: February 3rd, 2012

If the phrase mishloach manos conjures up dreaded images of piles of sugar laden treats that no one wants to eat cluttering every available horizontal surface just weeks before Pesach, chances are that this is one part of the happiest of Yomim Tovim that you are not looking forward to.

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.

Counting The Omer … And The Homers

Posted on: May 9th, 2007

While we're counting the Omer, we're also counting homers.

2007 Predictions

Posted on: April 12th, 2007

NL East         Mets: The Mets have the best team in the National League, with enough punch to compensate for an aging and not-so-great starting pitching staff. Frankly, though, the Mets would be a second place team in the American League West, a third place team in the AL East and a fourth place [...]

Kaddish For Barney Dreyfuss

Posted on: March 7th, 2007

"Who are you saying Kaddish for today?" one of the kollel young men asked.

Baseball Is Dull Only To Those With Dull Minds

Posted on: February 7th, 2007

Let's talk some baseball.

Community Currents – February 3, 2012

Posted on: February 2nd, 2012

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Fine Dairy Dining at Café Muscat

Posted on: February 1st, 2012

For the past six years, Café Muscat, located on Union Turnpike, in Fresh Meadows, Queens, has become a very popular spot in this particularly demanding neighborhood. You will not find bagels, cream cheese and lox on the menu of this restaurant.

It’s My Opinion The Unexpected

Posted on: January 27th, 2012

The world watched in horror as the surreal photos of the Costa Concordia hit news outlets last week. The immense cruise ship hit rocks off the coast of Italy, ran aground, and wound up on its side, sinking in the Mediterranean.

Calendar Of Events

Posted on: January 27th, 2012

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Are You A Caterpillar Or Butterfly

Posted on: December 23rd, 2011

Have you ever seen pictures or a video of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly - what a miraculous site, truly a confirmation of the Creator constantly at work.

Tikun Olam

Posted on: December 23rd, 2011

Tikun Olam, "repairing the world" has become a modern day catch phrase. It appears to be everywhere from the yeshiva world, to Christian groups, used by even certifiable cult leaders and Kabbalah enthusiasts - both the respected ones and the phony ones

Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities – 12/23/11

Posted on: December 23rd, 2011

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Help! I Am Losing Sleep!

Posted on: December 22nd, 2011

Dear Dr. Yael: My husband recently started davening in a vasikin (sunrise) minyan. Our problem is that I am a light sleeper, and he sleeps right through his alarm. I realize that while he is not trying to be cruel by intentionally leaving on his radio in the middle of the night just to hear what is going on in the world, my patience is extremely thin at 4 a.m.

Title: Breslav Children’s 5-Booklet Set

Posted on: May 26th, 2010

Ever-smiling Rav Shalom Arush is a beloved figure in Israel and beyond. A powerhouse for chesed and decent living, his Breslav-based Shlom Bonaich school for underprivileged children in Jerusalem has produced a series of five children's booklets in Hebrew, English and soon-to-be Yiddish.

Title: Breslav Children’s 5-Booklet Set

Posted on: May 26th, 2010

Ever-smiling Rav Shalom Arush is a beloved figure in Israel and beyond. A powerhouse for chesed and decent living, his Breslav-based Shlom Bonaich school for underprivileged children in Jerusalem has produced a series of five children's booklets in Hebrew, English and soon-to-be Yiddish.

Title: In-Laws: It’s All Relative

Posted on: May 12th, 2010

In-laws: It's All Relative, a new book by psychiatrist Dr. Abraham Twerski and Leah Shifrin Averick, LCSW, offers insights into common issues affecting all in-laws. They include the first meeting between the new couple and his parents and hers (machatonim), what to call the in-laws, making wedding plans, divided loyalties over where to spend holidays, sibling-in-law relationships, gifts and monetary aid, and others.

Title: In-Laws: It’s All Relative

Posted on: May 12th, 2010

In-laws: It's All Relative, a new book by psychiatrist Dr. Abraham Twerski and Leah Shifrin Averick, LCSW, offers insights into common issues affecting all in-laws. They include the first meeting between the new couple and his parents and hers (machatonim), what to call the in-laws, making wedding plans, divided loyalties over where to spend holidays, sibling-in-law relationships, gifts and monetary aid, and others.