Was Rosh Hashanah meant to be in Tammuz? — By Ben
The 17th of Tammuz starts the solemn “three weeks,” a period in the Jewish calendar which act as a remembrance of the worst tragedies to befall the Jewish people. The […]
Behaalosecha – 7 Books of the Torah? — By Ben
For weeks now, the narrative of the Torah has slowed and the text primarily has focused on mitzvahs, duties of the Kohanim and Leviim, and copious census taking. From here […]
NBA Star Meyers Leonard’s Antisemitic Slur and His Heartfelt Apology — By Ben
NBA center Meyers Leonard has played in almost 400 games since being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2012. The average NBA career spans 3.75 years, but this beloved, […]
Acharei/Omer – The Line Between Fear and Reverence — By Ben
The Torah portion Acharei Mos, begins with reminding us of the death of Nadav and Avihu, Aharon’s two oldest sons who died in parshas Shimini. It is probably not a […]
Does History of the World Part II make Comedy History? — By Ben
Mel Brooks is one of the greatest comic geniuses of all time. And no matter what show or movie he’s involved in, you’re going to run into a Jewish joke. […]
The Bread of Affliction, a Poor Translation — By Ben
On Seder night, as we begin the Maggid (story telling) section, the matzah is broken and lifted as the leader proclaims, “Ha Lachma onya”, this is the bread of our […]
Purim: Permission to Defend — By Ben
Not more than a couple of weeks ago, I was wasting time on Facebook, when I came across something that stopped me cold. A friend had posted “Man Shot in […]
ChatGPT & A.I. – Will Rabbis Soon Be Obsolete? — By Ben
As you may or may not know, I have a side business of working with bar/bat mitzvah students to write d’var Torahs and speeches for their big day. (Cough – […]
What Thoughts and Prayers are Worth — By Ben
There is a cycle in this country. A tragedy strikes a community and after an increasingly short grieving period, both sides of the political divide make some sort of comment. […]
Refusing Greatness at the Burning Bush — By Ben
I was recently working with a Bar Mitzvah student on a speech for Shemos, when we started discussing Moses and God at the burning bush. God calls on Moses to […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 