BY RABBI HYIM SHAFNER
• Published November 16, 2011
This week's Torah portion, Chayei Sarah, "The life of Sarah," begins with Sarah's death following the story of the akedah, binding of Isaac, at the end of last week's portion. Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, known as RASHI, a famous 11th century French commentator...
In this week's Torah portion we see two very different sides of our patriarch Abraham. God tells Abraham He plans to destroy the wicked city of Sodom and instead of being happy that God is removing wickedness from the world, Abraham argues to save the...
By Rabbi James Stone Goodman
• Published November 9, 2011
At the end of his lifeAbraham ascended to the top of the chariot of Ezekielit was covered with the dew of light. Abraham dressed in hand-me-down celestial garmentssaw the future -a vision of reconciliationfrom what was missing in his generationhe saw...
Merged day school's policy on kashrutA Nov. 2 letter to the editor asserts that the new Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School has no kashrut policy. We would like to correct this misperception and explain our approach to the merger process.When a Reform...
BY ANIEL SHAPIRO, Junior, Block Yeshiva
• Published November 9, 2011
Cell phones, laptops, and television have revolutionized society. As a result of these technological innovations, people spend more and more time plugged in, especially teenagers. According to Sciencedaily.com, most teenagers spend an average of 20 hours...
BY ROBERT A. COHN, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus
• Published November 9, 2011
It was the kind of event that friends and admirers of the late Rabbi Sholom Rivkin say he would have loved: hundreds of students, rabbis and teachers from four Orthodox day schools filling the gymnasium at the H.F. Epstein Hebrew Academy for a siyum-a...
Bais Abraham Congregation and Torah MiTzion are offering a Parent-Child Learning and Dinner series over four Mondays. The series began Nov. 7 and continues Nov. 14, 21 and 28. Sessions take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m.Families are welcome to join the series...
By Dasee Berkowitz, NEW YORK
• Published October 12, 2011
But are you happy? No, this isn't your mother wanting another update on your life. It's not Dr. Phil's provocative question through your TV/computer screen as you sit (safely) on your couch. And it isn't someone reading you the Declaration of Independence...
BY RABBI JOSEF DAVIDSON
• Published October 12, 2011
Five days after Yom Kippur the joyous festival of Sukkot begins. It is the one holy day period on which Jews are actually commanded to rejoice. The other major festivals (Pesach and Shavuot) are also joyous and celebrate important events in...
D'var Torah response receives its own critiqueThe Oct. 5 commentary, "Torah portion deserves critical examination," David A. Rubin writes, "I was disappointed by the Sept. 14, 2011 D'var Torah. Rabbi James Stone Goodman's prose was certainly interesting,...
By David Baugher, Special to the Jewish Light
• Published October 12, 2011
It was the day before Rosh Hashanah when Norm Berkowitz finally felt that Congregation Kol Am could be forced to disband."I got a piece of concrete information where I knew then that we were not going to make it," reflected Berkowitz, who, as president,...
I was disappointed by the Sept. 14, 2011 D'var Torah. Rabbi James Stone Goodman's prose was certainly interesting, and it would be to the Jewish Light's advantage to publish it more often, perhaps in a column dedicated to our local poets and writers.Unfortunately...
