If I Only Had One Jewish App On My iPhone

Posted on: March 22nd, 2012

This past week I saw a video preview of an upcoming iPod app that excited and inspired me to the point of near tears. It was for RustyBrick’s jaw-dropping ArtScroll Schottenstein Talmud app. Unfortunately that app won’t be out for another few months (but take the time to check out the preview at www.rustybrick.com), yet I realized after months of writing this column that I had yet to give the due attention to RustyBrick’s Siddur app.

Israeli Med Tech Company Acquired for $300 Million

Posted on: March 20th, 2012

US medical device company Covidien has acquired Israeli respiratory systems maker superDimension for approximately $300 million, winning a bidding war to purchase the company for its bronchial tube endoscopes which reduce the invasiveness of surgery.

Israel’s First Massive Solar Farms Receive Licenses

Posted on: March 15th, 2012

Israel’s scorching-hot desert will soon be home to massive solar energy farms, bringing Israel closer to its goal of reliance on renewable energy. The Public Utility Authority on Monday issued nine licenses to establish Israel’s first large-scale solar energy farms.

Is It A Car? Is It A Network? No — It’s Both

Posted on: February 23rd, 2012

If Israeli electric car company, Better Place, only gave the world an electric car that could switch an empty battery for a full one in five minutes that would have been enough! But Better Place is also the key to making renewable energy production practical all over the world. Dai aynu!

Marc Chagall At TEFAF Maastricht

Posted on: April 19th, 2012

Jewish medals, several with Hebrew inscriptions and provocative imagery, were among the gems at The European Art Fair (TEFAF) in Maastricht, Netherlands, as I wrote in these pages two weeks ago. Another mini-trend at the fair, which will interest Jewish art aficionados, was an abundance of works by Marc Chagall.

Golden Haggadah: A Unique Methodology

Posted on: April 16th, 2012

The Golden Haggadah was created in Catalonia, Spain sometime around 1320. So named because all the illustrations are placed against a patterned gold-leaf background, it is a ritual object of incredible luxury and expense. In light of Marc Michael Epstein’s analysis found in his recent book The Medieval Haggadah, this tiny masterpiece of Jewish art easily ranks among other towering works of complex narration including Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel in Padua and Michelangelo’s Sistine ceiling in Rome.

Jewish Medals At TEFAF

Posted on: April 6th, 2012

It’s virtually impossible to ignore the financial aspects of TEFAF Maastricht, the annual arts and antiques fair in the historic city about two hours south of Amsterdam. More than 250 dealers from nearly 20 countries sell their wares—which span from Greek and Roman antiquities to contemporary sculptures—in the halls of the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre, whose corridors are adorned by nearly 65,000 tulips.

Bird’s Head Haggadah Revealed – The Medieval Haggadah: Art, Narrative & Religious Imagination

Posted on: March 29th, 2012

Bird’s Head Haggadah Revealed The Medieval Haggadah: Art, Narrative & Religious Imagination By Marc Michael Epstein, Yale University Press, New Haven and London 2011

Sarah Aaronson: The Heroine of NILI

Posted on: January 5th, 2012

Nearly eighty-five years have passed since Sarah Aaronson shot herself in the head, putting an end to the torture her Turkish interrogators inflicted upon her for refusing to disclose information about her associates in the NILI, an anti-Turkish spying organization that supplied the British with intelligence.

Yehudith: The Heroine Of Channukah

Posted on: December 22nd, 2011

“Women are obligated to participate in kindling the Chanukah lights,” instructs the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, a nineteenth century commentary on the Shulchan Aruch, the basic Jewish legal text. And, surprisingly, even more: “A woman can light the candles for all the members of her family.”

Dinah’s Daughter: A Vital Link

Posted on: December 8th, 2011

This week’s parsha, Vayislach, relates a shocking episode that causes genuine outrage in the Israelite camp -- the Canaanite Prince Shechem’s brutal assault of Yaakov’s daughter Dinah.

Zehava Shmueli: Women’s Leadership Awardee

Posted on: November 24th, 2011

The Women's Leadership Award was created in 2007 by the European Athletics Development Committee to raise awareness of the issues related to women and leadership in athletics.

True Friends, Traveling 700 Miles

Posted on: May 4th, 2012

From the gmail statuses and e-mail forwards I get, it seems like everyone has some idea of what true friendship is all about.

Grow Your Own Veggies

Posted on: May 4th, 2012

With spring in full swing and the hazy days of summer beckoning on the horizon, our thoughts turn towards lighter meals that rely more heavily on fresh fruits and vegetables - particularly for those of us who find that despite our best efforts, we really managed to pack on the pounds over Pesach. While your local supermarket may boast an amazing array of produce, and the nearest gourmet store may feature dazzling displays of fresh fruits and vegetables, there is simply nothing that can compare to the taste of home grown. The fact that growing your own produce can save a bundle of money, makes the taste of your home grown bounty that much more delicious.

Technologically Speaking

Posted on: May 4th, 2012

I watch in wonder as four teenagers grab chairs around a table at a local café. They seem to be friends, or at least fond acquaintances, all joining together for a ten-day Birthright tour of Israel. I watch these boys from a balcony above, and I observe that immediately upon sitting down, three of the four boys at the table proceed to reach for their laptops. The fourth boy didn’t seem to have one with him and attached himself to his friend’s laptop. They immediately logged into their Facebook accounts and spent the remainder of their meal connecting to friends in their respective countries.

Henry S. and Benjamin H. Hartogensis

Posted on: May 2nd, 2012

Usually Jewish history books deal with those who have made their mark by doing extraordinary things. While such people obviously are important, there are those who may not have enjoyed much fame yet whose efforts and accomplishments were crucial to maintaining Yahadus in their community. Two such men are Henry S. Hartogensis and his son, Benjamin H. Hartogensis, who devoted their lives to the Jewish community of Baltimore.

Purim In Hong Kong

Posted on: March 23rd, 2012

A traditional Purim in Hong Kong requires an obligatory visit to Pottinger Street in the bustling Central District. Also known locally as Stone Step Street, Pottinger Street is more of a steep, irregularly paved pedestrian stone path (with steps too small for Western feet) than a street. My children run ahead up the stone slabs as I carefully balance my size nine feet on the thin, uneven stairs. My five year old stumbles but quickly recovers and catches up to the big kids.

Coming Full Circle: A glimpse at the inspiring work of Be’er Hagolah

Posted on: March 16th, 2012

Tanya Rosen is the owner of Shape Fitness. She recently released a kosher, home-workout DVD for women. Dr. Natalie Zelenko is employed as a radiologist at the Cancer Center at Maimonides Medical Centers. Igor Lempert works as an actuary for New York Life. What they and thousands of others share is a life of Torah Judaism, despite having been raised in secular environments and due to the education and warmth they received at Be’er Hagolah Institutes.

The Whole World Is Jewish

Posted on: February 17th, 2012

Our Jewish world is small but from his five-year-old perspective it is large, perhaps all-encompassing. The fact that in a population of over 7 million people in Hong Kong (95% of whom are ethnically Chinese) we as Jews collectively account for only about 4,000 or 0.05% of the population can be seemingly irrelevant. Large numbers and statistics don’t play into his worldview.

Not For The Birds: A Week Of Halachic Learning At Princeton

Posted on: February 1st, 2012

Some college students use their winter break between terms to relax, fly to warm climates and in general recover from the academic burdens of the fall semester. Others study how to slaughter chickens according to kosher law.

Israel’s Jewish Birthrate Grows

Posted on: December 9th, 2011

The number of Jewish babies born in Israel has increased by nearly 20% since 2001, while at the same time the number of Muslim and Christian newborns has dropped by 5% and 10%, respectively, this according to Israel's Immigration Authority.

Israel Prepares Africa For Mass Circumcision

Posted on: December 8th, 2011

A delegation of Israeli mohels (ritual circumcisors) returned from a two week trip to Africa last week, where they prepared a UN medical team for a mass African circumcision.

Israel, US Ranked for Health in OECD Study

Posted on: November 24th, 2011

In a comparison between Israel, the United States, and other OECD countries, Israelis live longer, pay less.

Basketball Semifinals: Lobos vs. Yak Pak, Hawke & Co. vs. Jerry’s Kids

Posted on: March 7th, 2012

Lobos will meet Hawke & Co. in the finals, and attempt to pick up their second consecutive championship title.

At Catcher… Myron Ginsberg

Posted on: February 8th, 2012

Sixty years ago and fifty years ago. 1952 and 1962. They were memorable years for many of us.

Israeli Sports League: Big Apple Wins Again; Hawke&Co., Yak Pak Share First Place

Posted on: February 7th, 2012

Yak Pak moved into a tie for first place with two wins and a Lobos loss.

Israeli Sports League: Potomac18, Big Fish, Jerry’s Kids Win Thrillers

Posted on: January 24th, 2012

Week 4 of the “Red and Dr. Murray's” Israel Basketball league saw three games go down to the wire in thrilling fashion.

Writing A Torah In Memory Of Rabbi Dovid Bryn

Posted on: May 10th, 2012

Hundreds of people gathered on Sunday, April 29, at Chabad Chayil Synagogue in Highland Lakes to pay tribute to South Florida’s Rabbi Dovid Bryn, z”l, and launch a project of writing a new Sefer Torah in honor of the rabbi’s 10th yahrzeit.

Community Currents – May 11, 2012

Posted on: May 9th, 2012

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My Machberes

Posted on: May 9th, 2012

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My Machberes

Posted on: May 3rd, 2012

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Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities

Posted on: May 10th, 2012

Boys will be boys… but what of the bullies?

Boys, ADHD And Reading

Posted on: May 4th, 2012

In all my years of teaching kriyah and English reading, I have encountered more boys than girls who struggle with the skill. We are even subconsciously programmed to think of reading as a female endeavor. Picture a reader in a comfy chair, thinking, “Wow, what a great book! I can’t wait to share this with my friends.” Was the reader you imagined male or female? Chances are, you envisioned a female reader. The idea that the majority of readers are female is consistent with reading scores around the nation.

Acting Respectfully Always Pays Off

Posted on: May 4th, 2012

Dear Dr. Yael: Although I agree with your advice to A Passive Reader (Showing Respect Gets Results, 4-20) about how to deal with difficult people, I emphatically disagree with your decision to take the blame for the impatient frum guy who was honking his horn. If you saw him run someone over with his car, would you take the blame for that too? If you had gotten a ticket, would you have paid it? If the officer had arrested you, would you have gone to jail? I am not a rabbi, but I would be surprised if not informing means taking the blame as well.

Four Questions To Heal The Pain

Posted on: May 3rd, 2012

About a month ago, we began the Passover Seder by asking “the four questions,” which led to a narrative explaining how the Jewish people were freed from Egypt. We are now in the midst of a forty-nine day process of spiritual growth in which we prepare ourselves to receive the Torah.

Title: For the Love of Torah – Stories and Insights of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel

Posted on: April 6th, 2012

This book is very riveting. It is a comprehensive biography of the Mirrer Rosh Yeshivah, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, zt’l. It starts out telling us about the Mirrer Yeshiva escaping to Shanghai from Lithuania during World War II because of the invading Germans. It then describes Rabbi Finkel’s family, and then Rabbi Finkel himself. It is important for young adults to see our gedolim as role models, and Rabbi Teller’s biography provides just that. Also, Rabbi Finkel is a relatable role model, because he grew up as a typical American Jewish kid.

Bird’s Head Haggadah Revealed – The Medieval Haggadah: Art, Narrative & Religious Imagination

Posted on: March 29th, 2012

Bird’s Head Haggadah Revealed The Medieval Haggadah: Art, Narrative & Religious Imagination By Marc Michael Epstein, Yale University Press, New Haven and London 2011

Title: When General Grant Expelled the Jews

Posted on: March 29th, 2012

Title: When General Grant Expelled the Jews Author: Jonathan Sarna Publisher: Schocken

Title: The Koren Ethiopian Haggada Journey to Freedom: Celebrating Ethiopian Jewish History, Traditions & Customs

Posted on: March 29th, 2012

Title: The Koren Ethiopian Haggada Journey to Freedom: Celebrating Ethiopian Jewish History, Traditions & Customs Editor: Rabbi Menachem Waldman Publisher: Koren Publishing