Volume # 0

Spring 2009(5769) 5769

In this issue
On and Off the Beaten Track in…the Har’el Lookout
Israel

On and Off the Beaten Track in…the Har’el Lookout

During Israel’s War of Independence, the construction of the Burma Road, a bypass to Jerusalem through the mountains, was an extraordinary feat that allowed Jewish soldiers to avoid the dangers of the main road. Photo: Israel Government Press Office As I write these lines, Israel is continuing to battle for its very existence, fighting the […]

Tips for a Pressure-Free Pesach
Passover

Tips for a Pressure-Free Pesach

Make lists of things that need to get done. Put the lists in a notebook or binder with dividers so you can create sections for cleaning, shopping and menu planning.

The Seder Night: An Exalted Evening
Passover

The Seder Night: An Exalted Evening

The noted writer Nat Hentoff, who describes himself as having “abandoned our God but not abandoned our people,” explained that he remained loyal to “our people” because of a chance encounter with Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.

Holding God’s Hand
Faith

Holding God’s Hand

For nearly a year now, Simcha Esther (Shari) Gershan has been looking the Angel of Death in the eye and smiling back at him. She’s also been telling the world about it on her Internet blog, and plans to share more of her story in her forthcoming documentary. The day after Purim 2008, the Passaic, […]

Birkat haChammah: An Evocative Blessing
Inspiration

Birkat haChammah: An Evocative Blessing

Why Is This Erev Pesach Different From Every Other Erev Pesach? To a Jew every mitzvah is treasured; each is a source of delight. As expressed by the psalmist, “Happy is the man who fears God, who desires His mitzvot greatly” (Psalms 112:1). Little wonder then that Birkat haChammah, despite its relative simplicity and infrequency […]

The Economic Crisis and the Crisis of Character
Economics

The Economic Crisis and the Crisis of Character

As I write, the world is in the midst of the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Within the last few months, some of the oldest and best-known names in American finance, such as Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers, have evaporated, while bank failures are at their highest level in decades. […]