Divrey Torah

The other day, my daughter announced that she would be making her own lunch. Apparently the way students were called up from their tables in the lunchroom only left her 5 minutes to actually eat. The next morning, I dutifully woke her up 15 minutes...

One of my favorite pictures from our wedding (besides the great picture of a slow dance) is of myself with my brother. We are standing in a grassy field, looking in opposite directions, separated by a few inches. I am wearing the traditional kittel (plain...

When Tanya and I visited Grand Bahama Island, we stopped by a small “Fish Fry,” a hole in the wall fried fish restaurant which served food through a service window, similar to an ice cream stand. There was a crowd of at least 20 people,...

At the beginning of every new year, many of us make lofty resolutions: exercise more, eat healthier, get organized, spend more time with loved ones. Sounds great! But we all know that it doesn't stick. New years resolutions are abandoned, on average, after 36 days....

"Why me?" All of us have tsores.  Sometimes, however, we feel our load of tsores is a bit more than we deserve.  "Why me," we ask, assuming that tsores gets doled out as a punishment, and that we do not deserve it. What if the tsores is...

I have heard a lot of talk about civil rights from those opposed to masks: parents “right” to choose whether to send their child in with a mask, the “right” to make my own health decisions, my “right” to send my child in with a...

Dear Friends, In the Monty Python film "Life of Brian," the main character ends the movie hung on a cross, singing "always look on the bright side of life."  It is of course absurd, making fun of the notion that we could always be chipper and...

Dear Friends, I am so pleased that the School Board last night chose to follow the CDC and medical professionals by bringing a mask mandate to the schools.  School Board members mentioned how many calls they had received; speaking up really does work. I was especially pleased...

Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke, Ya gotta understand: It's just our bringin' upke That gets us outta hand. Our mothers all are junkies, Our fathers all are drunks. Golly Moses, natcherly we're punks. In "Westside Story," members of a street gang use a variety of creative explanations for their criminal behavior: their dad...

As I write, it is hard to ignore the shock and horror of yesterday’s events. I have always believed we are a civil, respectful country. I pray that our country return to civility, fellowship, and peace, and that those who feel passionate learn restraint and...