At the beginning of Chapter 24, the Torah informs of us of Bilaam’s third attempt to curse the Israelites – which will once again turn into a blessing, in this case, the most famous of the three. “When Bilaam realized that G-d desired to bless Israel, he did not seek out the occult forces (“nechashim”) as he had done before. Instead, he set his gaze toward the desert. When Bilaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel dwelling at peace by tribes, G-d’s spirit was on him.” more

I remember, as a high school student, hearing our Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Shlomo Riskin relate one of the questions he used to ask when interviewing prospective rebbe’im (rabbinic teachers) for our yeshiva high school. more

In a recent essay entitled, “Ignoring Munich Massacre Reminds Us Olympics Are Pure Baloney” [Commentary, May 18, 2012] Jonathan Tobin makes the following observation: more

Both sides of the political spectrum were shocked by the Court’s Obamacare decision. For weeks, discussions have surrounded whether the Justices would merely strike down the individual mandate or the entire law. more

Former Israel Defense Forces soldier and captive of the terrorist Hamas government in Gaza - and now sportswriter - Gilad Shalit, is welcomed to a special gathering of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. more

Appointed in 2005 to a seat vacated by then Commissioner Chester Cafasso and elected in 2007, Commissioner James Vilardi is running unopposed for reelection in the upcoming Sanitary District One election. Despite the fact that he faces no challenger, Villardi is looking forward to constituents coming to the polls on Monday night July 9 to vote. more

“This project is breaking the first rule in Real Estate 101: Don’t fall in love with the bricks,” said Allegria Hotel owner Allen Rosenberg, 49, sitting at a table in the hotel’s lounge overlooking the rooftop pool — the only one of its kind on Long Island — as guests and serve more

A new directive of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on June 15th by President Barack Obama, was hailed as beneficial to members of the Jewish community by Agudath Israel of America, a national Orthodox Jewish organization. more

Called a tiger, a rock and a giant, by admirers as well as adversaries, Yitzhak Shamir, the seventh prime minister of Israel, was at the forefront of much of recent Jewish and Israeli history and garnered respect for his honesty, stability, and beliefs. He died this past Shabbat at the age of 96. more

June 28 Free Seminar A free community forum hosted by South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, NY (1 Healthy Way), will be presented by certified diabetes educator Cecilia Cassidy, BSN, RN.  The forum will be held in South Nassau’s Conference Room B on Thursday, June 28, beginning at 7:30 PM.  For more information or to register, call South Nassau’s Department of Community Education (516) 377-5333. more