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Apr 18, 2024, 7:22 AM

The Haggadah-My Story

OMG hosting a Seder is a big job! The cleaning, and the cooking, and the set up are just an enormous amount of work. And then there are the more subtle arrangements: Making sure Uncle Irv never has to...

Apr 11, 2024, 7:58 AM

First of all Firsts – Head of all Heads

Hi! Welcome to Nissan, our first month. Everyone agrees that the date Nissan 1 is very significant. It appears to be the birthday for the Jewish nation, because we were given our very first Mitzvah as a nation on...

Apr 4, 2024, 8:51 AM

In the imaginary world of Harry Potter, the big sports star isn’t the quarterback, point guard or clean up hitter. It’s the Seeker in the magical world’s sport of Quidditch. I believe that it’s wonderful that the big man...

Mar 28, 2024, 9:03 AM

Excited about Routine

It is very clear from the beginning of this week’s Torah reading that we’re dealing with a very different kind of KORBAN (offering or sacrifice) than last week’s parsha. Last week we began the book of Vayikra: When any...

Mar 21, 2024, 9:33 AM

This week we begin reading the book of Vayikra. The subject matter, at least for the first 17 chapters, is challenging because we are discussing the rituals surrounding the bringing of offerings in the Mishkan and, later, the Beit...

Mar 14, 2024, 7:26 AM

Mission Accomplished

Fare thee well, O Book of Shmot! We will miss your exciting stories as we enter the less exhilarating world of the Book of Vayikra. In Shmot, we have plagues, the splitting of the Sea, war against Amalek, the...

Mar 7, 2024, 8:36 AM

The Talented Mr. Betzalel

Toward the beginning of this week’s Torah reading Moshe tells the people almost verbatim what God told him in last week’s reading. God said, ‘See I have called upon by name Betzalel son of Uri son of Hur of...

Feb 29, 2024, 7:19 AM

This week’s Torah reading is an emotional roller coaster ride. We initially return to Moshe’s ascent on Mt. Sinai only to then encounter the extremely depressing and disheartening story of the Golden Calf. From ecstatic high to dismal low....

Feb 22, 2024, 9:58 AM

The Breastplate Knows

For the second week in a row, our ancestors were commanded to do something which under different circumstances would be totally ASSUR, verboten, prohibited. Last week the Torah instructed us to construct two statues over the ARON containing the...

Feb 15, 2024, 7:15 AM

Remember those carefree days of our youth when we sent Valentine cards adorned with chubby, dimpled Cherubs (forget the whole Cupid thing; they’re just a Roman reworking of Cherubs)? Well I do, because I went to public school and...

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About Me

Born in Malden, MA, 1950. Graduate of YU, taught for Rabbi Riskin in Riverdale, NY, and then for 18 years in Efrat with R. Riskin and R. Brovender at Yeshivat Hamivtar. Spent 16 years as Educational Director, Cong. Agudath Sholom, Stamford, CT. Now teach at OU Center and Yeshivat Orayta.