The eruv came too late for me. . .

If the level of observance was low in New York before the war (see previous post and comments), imagine the state of Jewish life in Sacramento, California. My mother's family settled there in the late 30's,  where my grandfather and my grandmother's brothers had established a business. My … [Read more...]

Who are you waiting for, Miss America? Guess not.

Last night we went to the shiva for the mother of an old friend. The friend told how her mother's mother studied piano with Bess Myerson, the first (and only?) Jewish Miss America. My friend's great-grandmother tried to fix up one of her sons with Bess, but they weren't interested. If I have it … [Read more...]

Interview with an Orthodox Sex Therapist: Talli Yehuda Rosenbaum

Talli Yehuda Rosenbaum is a physical therapist who also specializes in sex counseling and treatment of sexual problems. She is one of few such therapists within the religious community in Israel. She has graciously agreed to answer a few questions. Mother in Israel: When I took a group class on … [Read more...]

Teaching our children: Modeling is not enough

In my post Trusting Our Children, I wrote about things that children learn on their own. So what do we need to teach them?I hate to disappoint you, but I don't have the answers. I can't, because they will be different for each family. Leora will make sure her children appreciate art and can express … [Read more...]

More on Rashi’s Daughters

The Rebbetzin's Husband gave a talk in his shul on what is actually known about Rashi's daughters.We appreciate him taking the time to put it up.Rashi's Daughters: Joheved - Myths and Facts: Part I and Part II … [Read more...]

Rashi’s Daughters, Book I: Jocheved

My friend, who ordered Rashi's Daughters, Book I: Jocheved by Maggie Anton for our book club, asked me to read it and tell her my thoughts. Not having read any reviews I didn't know what to expect.Anton introduces us to the life of the renowned classical Biblical and Talmudic commentator Rabbi … [Read more...]

Mikveh tour

A new mikveh recently opened near my house.You enter through a long, covered walkway. The walkway is unsightly on the outside and caused quite a bit of controversy because the proper municipal approval hadn't been obtained. It turned out that the walkway blocks the view from someone's front window. … [Read more...]

An Explosive Purim? *UPDATED*

An email has been going around containing a slide show about the dangers of mild explosives. The son of the producer was injured when caps exploded in his pocket.Thanks to Aidel Maidel for the technical help in embedding the document.The Jerusalem Post summarizes: [The JP, perhaps erroneously, … [Read more...]

Rabbi Yigal Ariel: We are cutting ourselves off from the Israeli public

Rabbi Yigal Ariel of Moshav Nov in the Golan Heights published a book about haredi trends in religious Zionist circles. Here are some comments from a Ynet interview:“While everyone else spoke of ‘disengagement’ we (Religious Zionists) spoke of ‘expulsion’. Instead of the ‘Amona evacuation’ we … [Read more...]

Golden Mind, Golden Heart, Golden Tongue

Riveting. Moving. Inspiring. Such is the documentary A Lonely Man of Faith produced by Ethan Isenberg. The golden mind, heart, and tongue belonged to Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveichik, known to his students simply as the Rav.The highlights of the film for me:The early influence of the Rav's mother. The … [Read more...]