Sometimes, heroes are the most ordinary people, who rise to the most extraordinary occasions. Like Noam Apter. Friday night: White tablecloths and china, the sweet light of the Shabbat candles, and the singing of Shalom Aleichem, a song of peace that begins every Shabbat dinner in every Jewish home. No matter where Jews have been, and how unwelcoming and challenging the world around them has been, they are still singing of peace on Friday nights. And this particular Friday night in the Yeshiva at Otniel was no different. Except that while the students of this yeshiva and their families were singing of peace, no one heard the silent click of wire cutters slicing through the security fence. more

This week’s portion, Tetzaveh, opens with a particular mitzvah which seems at first glance to be rather out of place: Hashem tells Moshe: “Ve’Atah Te’tzaveh Et B’nei Yisrael, Ve’Yikchu’ Eilecha’ Shemen Zayit Zach- Katit La’Ma’or – Le’Ha’alot Ner Tamid.” “And you shall command the children of Israel, and they shall take to youpure olive oil which was crushed for the light, to raise up a continuous [daily] flame” (Exodus 27:20) more

Sunday mornings for me, even twenty years later, still have a tinge of sadness. While Westerners most often view Sunday morning as the chance to sleep late, relax with the family, and catch up on the news, for most Israeli soldiers it is the most depressing moment of the week. more

Friday night. The sun had long since set, dark clouds hid the stars, and the wind was howling off the Shouf mountain range in central Lebanon. I had managed to quietly sing the Kabbalat Shabbat service while en-route to the ambush site, and even pray the evening service while in the staging ground, before giving my men a final inspection, but I had no idea what to do about Kiddush. more

It is hard to imagine, looking down at the windswept desert floor far below, what it must have been like 2000 years ago, to be a Jewish rebel soldier atop the isolated fortress of Masada. What kept you going, as you gazed down at the might of three Roman Legions, bent on your destruction? more

There are certain things in life we take for granted, and chief amongst these are the relationships we have built over a lifetime. So one wonders exactly what Hashem (G-d) is saying at the beginning of this week’s portion: “And G-d spoke to Moshe and said to him ‘I am G-d’.” (Exodus 6:2) Why is G-d introducing Him/Her self to Moshe? more

How does one make life meaningful? How do we make sure that we are living every moment to its fullest potential? This week’s portion, Shemot, contains a powerful indication to Judaism’s recipe for a meaningful and joyful life. more

Of all the unexpected visitors I have ever received, none even come close to the surprise I got in the summer of ‘94. I was teaching a course on Jewish values deep in the mountains of Pennsylvania, at a camp called Moshava, near Indian Orchard. We were in the middle of an intense discussion on Jewish ethics, when I noticed three fellows standing at the entrance to the lodge. Their features were far- eastern; Chinese, it seemed, and they were standing patiently at the door, taking it all in. more

t should have been one of the most powerful and exciting days of my life; I can still see all the guys, in their dress uniforms, preparing for the final ceremony; instead, it was one of the most depressing. more

To be honest, that year, I wasn’t particularly looking forward to Chanukah, and hadn’t really had much time to think about it. Our armored battalion had recently come down from a few months up in Lebanon and, while I was thankful we would be spending the winter in Israel and not up in the freezing cold mountains of Lebanon, we were still in the process of overhauling the tanks; not a particularly enjoyable task. more