Elicia Brown, left, and her family in November 2016. (Jennifer Bowles)NEW YORK (JTA) — It is the “the witching hour,” around 4:30 p.m., when darkness descends swiftly on the streets of New York, and exhausted children and their parents tend to quarrel.But...
Do you recall the 1937 Disney classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs? Who was your favorite dwarf? Tough pick, but you have to adore Grumpy, at least the movie character who acted that way. Grumpy—permanent scowl, never satisfied—and always...
Ron Halber (Courtesy of Halber)Editor’s note: The upset victory by Donald Trump in the 2016 elections stunned a Jewish activist and leadership class that is at times as divided as the electorate at large. JTA asked some of those leaders to describe their...
With news of rising anti-Semitism in the U.S., the author debated about putting his menorah in the window. Now he’s asking others to publicly show and post the glow of their menorahs with the hashtag #menorahinthewindow. (Edmon J. Rodman)LOS ANGELES...
There are few things in life more awful than getting fired. Psychologists say that it can be the emotional equivalent of the death of a loved one. Even if your separation is voluntary, it can be very traumatic. When termination is involuntary, it can...
By now, you probably have heard of Hampshire College in Massachusetts lowering the American flag to half-mast after Donald Trump’s election. In the same spirit, other colleges offered expanded grief counseling services, anticipating an unusually heavy...
Condemnation of Waters is misplacedA man with unmistakable fascistic tendencies is preparing to take control of the United States presidency. He has emboldened anti-Semites and white supremacists throughout the country, included neo-Nazis who recently...
By Cathleen Kronemer, NSCA-CPT, Certified Health Coach
• Published December 8, 2016
As Thanksgiving and its mixed-blessing leftovers finally receded into a gastronomic memory, we now turn our thoughts to the next important task on the calendar: holiday shopping. If you are like me and don’t relish the thought of fighting crowds, neither...
BY ROBERT A. COHN, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus
• Published December 7, 2016
Not many people can lay claim to being a “historic figure,” but Missouri Supreme Court Justice Richard B. Teitelman, who died Nov. 29 at the too-young age of 69, indeed made history when he was named to the court in 2002 by then Governor Bob Holden,...
Orthodox Jews trying to prevent a group of Conservative and Reform rabbis and Women of the Wall members from bringing Torah scrolls into the Western Wall compound in Jerusalem, Nov. 2, 2016. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)JERUSALEM (JTA) — Like many of my friends,...
By Cathleen Kronemer, NSCA-CPT, Certified Health Coach
• Published December 1, 2016
Now that December has arrived, it is not too early to start planning your Dec. 31 celebration. This has been quite a tumultuous year, and we all deserve to enter 2017 on a happier note. What if there was a way to usher in some good fortune along with...
BY RABBI STEWART WEISS
• Published November 30, 2016
“Life and Death are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21)The strength of the Jewish People has always primarily resided in our power of speech. Speech that comes from our propensity for prayer, in good times and bad; speech that emanates...
