Dec 25, 2022Member-onlyAfter 90 years, a Menorah that symbolized Defiance is Rekindled in GermanyFive day ago, the New York Times featured a special menorah that recently made its way to its original home – Germany. After 90 Years, a Menorah That Symbolized Defiance Is Rekindled in Germany. It is the menorah famously lit in a window with the Nazi flag hanging across the…4 min read4 min read
Dec 20, 2022Member-onlyMeet Scott Shay & Chabad of Antarctica.Meet Scott Shay. Scott is the co-founder and Chairman of Signature Bank. He’s a businessman, thought leader, and author of several widely read books on profound issues facing the Jewish community. Scott has been wanting to travel to Antarctica for three decades and finally made it. He describes this in…Travel2 min readTravel2 min read
Nov 14, 2022Member-onlyClement Soffer and the Jews of SyriaThe Jewish People’s history with Syria goes back to ancient times — in fact, to the days of the Second Temple, when there was a Jewish community in Syria, and even before that. The community existed all the way until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. In…Jewish History6 min readJewish History6 min read
Nov 14, 2022Member-onlyThe Russian Pogrom of Halloween 1905.For most people October 31 is a day of parties and dressing up in costumes. But just over a century ago, October 31, 1905 was a tragic day, ushering in hundreds of pogroms that killed thousands of Jews across Russia. …Jewish History4 min readJewish History4 min read
Nov 14, 2022Member-onlyLove will return in a different way.A Story about Bohemian novelist and short story writer FRANZ KAFKA When he was 40, the renown Bohemian novelist and short story writer FRANZ KAFKA (1883–1924), who never married and had no children, was strolling through Steglitz Park in Berlin, when he chanced upon a young girl crying her eyes…Franz Kafka2 min readFranz Kafka2 min read
Nov 1, 2022Member-onlyWhy Don’t Jews Celebrate Halloween?In our very neighbourly NDG, Halloween is one of the most difficult days for our children. Our urban district comes alive with bustle of families going trick-or-treating. Since we moved here over 15 years ago, I’ve said if there is one holiday that NDGers celebrate its Halloween. Our children watch…Judaism3 min readJudaism3 min read
Aug 1, 2022Member-onlyThe Shabbat of Vision“It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision.”— Hellen Keller. This Shabbat was given the special name — Shabbat Chazon, The Shabbat of Vision. There are so many reasons it has this name, I will give you just two of them. 1: The Haftorah begins with the…Shabbat5 min readShabbat5 min read
Aug 1, 2022Member-onlyEulogy for Lorna Fox“Thank you G-d for this good day and I hope that I have a good day tomorrow.” With these words, a simple prayer of gratitude composed by Lorna Fox, Zlata bat Yaakov, I could begin and end her eulogy. I needn’t say more? The point of a funeral is v’hachai…Eulogy3 min readEulogy3 min read
Jul 26, 2022Member-onlyParshat Matot-Maasei | The Journeys of our LivesI rarely start my Torah thoughts with a thought from the Torah, I usually find Bible verses hard to relate to, especially in the English language. This one is from this week’s Torah portion, here goes… “These are the journeys of the children of Israel, going out of the land…Parsha4 min readParsha4 min read
Jul 25, 2022Member-onlyMeet Wesley Autrey. Modern Day Hero.What Kind Of A World Would It Be… …if we lived in the moment rather than regretting the past or worrying about the future? …if we took time to help one another? …if we didn’t live in fear? …if we cared about people? …if we smiled more? I’ve been thinking…New York3 min readNew York3 min read
