I have to thank my long time friend, Danny Levine, proprietor of America’s oldest family-owned Jewish book store, J. Levine and Co., for bringing to my attention the recently released “Derashot Ledorot: A Commentary for the Ages, Exodus” [Maggid Books, 2013] by Rabbi Norman Lamm. This second volume Bible sermons is a most eloquent work going back to over a half century of Rabbi Lamm’s rabbinical career at Manhattan’s The Jewish Center. more

It is time to set the record straight. The undertaking of this column each week is often driven by a desire to find new approaches to oft-repeated ideas in the Torah. By “new” I mean “not the way you’ve been learning it since second grade.” more

It is nearly 20 years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I lost about eight seconds of my life and almost died. I had been kept late with a group of students I was teaching, some of whom were struggling with some deep issues, and by the time I got in my car to head home it was nearly 4 am. I was an idiot; I should have stayed over in the dormitory with my students, but I guess I thought I was invincible. I had a cup of coffee with me and assumed that would be enough to get me home; I was wrong. more

This being my two-year anniversary writing this column, I want to thank all of you for the dozens of emails I receive each week in regard to the column. I’m glad I was able to connect with all of you, whether it brought back memories of Grossinger’s, bungalow colonies, Boro Park, the Catskills, school, camp, vacations, and just about anything else. I am truly touched at the wonderful letters of appreciation and positive feedback on many levels. more

At some point over lunch on Shabbat, the story of my husband Jerry’s first car accident came up. My sister-in-law, Shirley, while trying to catch her breath, be- cause she was laughing so hard, turned to me and said “this is you’re article for next week’s paper.” And so it is. As soon as Jerry got his license, he and his friends jumped into his dad’s car to take it for a spin. Before even making it fully out of the driveway he was smashed by a car driving down the street. more

Last week’s parsha showcases the bond between Yosef Ha-Tzadik (Joseph the just one) and Yisrael Sava (Israel the elder) who is also our zeida (grandfather) Ya’akov. This inspiring story of the special relationship of grandfather to grandchildren, prompted the great Yosef of our time, Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik, zt”l, to write an eloquent and learned teaching reflecting upon the first relationship between grandfather and grandsons as recorded in the Bible, that being between Jacob and Ephraim and Menashe. more

The American Studies Association, the nation’s oldest and largest association devoted to the interdisciplinary study of American culture and history, announced today their membership has decided to participate in the world’s oldest hatred...anti-Semitism. The way they are exhibiting their hatred is via an academic boycott of the Jewish State. more

In the litany of complaints offered up by Jewish opponents of the State of Israel, two themes are most common. Firstly, they like to claim that their critiques of the Jewish state are “muzzled” by Jewish establishment leaders and organizations. (“Jewish Voice for Peace,” an anti-Zionist group based in the Bay Area with an amusingly kumbaya name, even has a blog dedicated to exposing such intrigues, entitled “Muzzlewatch.”) Secondly, they are fond of pointing out that political debate among progressives in Israel is freer and more open than in the stodgy, cautious circles of American Jewry. more

There is a puzzling story in this week’s portion, Shemot, which occurs just as Moshe is ready to return to Egypt to set his people free. When Moshe stops at a small inn before the last leg of the journey home, G-d actually attempts to put him to death! After 39 verses (Exodus 3; 1-4: 19) where G-d convinces Moshe to leave Midyan and accept the mission of bringing the Jewish people out of Egypt, Moshe accepts and, taking his wife and children with him, sets forth on the journey south, back to Egypt. more

t was the great sage Hillel who said (Avot 2:5), “In a place where there are no men, try to be a man.” The sentiment of the phrase doesn’t lend itself to be reformulated to gender-neutral terminology, so I apologize in advance to those who find it offensive. Nonetheless, I think an understated message from this phrase can help us understand the first real episode in the life of Moshe, when he controls his own destiny. more