It’s not a coincidence that Yom Hazikaron, the Israeli day of remembrance, concludes with a celebration. The immense losses our people endured in the decades before and leading up to Israel’s establishment are appropriately marked on this solemn day, but they are thankfully tempered by the onset of Yom Ha’atzmaut and the joy generated

Few, if any, Teaneck families have had a greater impact on the global Jewish community than the Senters. We join the larger community in mourning the loss of Rabbi Dr. Zecharia “Harvey” Senter, who passed away on the last day of Pesach, in Teaneck.

Rabbi Senter, with his eshet chayil, Chana,

As we prepare to begin counting the omer on the second night of Pesach, we note that many of us have already spent the year counting days (and nights) toward many goals. The pandemic has given many of us nothing but time for such calculus.

Those who have already received their vaccines certainly counted

The past week, really just the past few days, was a simcha-filled and emotional week for my extended family. I was able to celebrate and join in-person, via YouTube Live, and via WhatsApp texts and pics, a number of big “milestone” smachot for us.

On Sunday, our family celebrated my Washington

As I was sitting at my desk late Tuesday and thinking that it was time to get out of the office and perhaps experience some of the thankfully warmer weather now upon us, I received a call from Rabbi Mordechai Kanelsky of Bris Avrohom, one of my favorite rabbis, though I have many favorites. I assumed he was calling me to invite me to a Bris

Last November, during the darkness of the pandemic, some light broke through. Old and new friends, all wine enthusiasts, gathered around a complex, multilayered project that, despite all the regulations and distancing guidelines that have characterized this year and made our lives virtually unrecognizable, took hold. In some ways,

I am dedicating my publisher’s space to my friend, our writer, published author, longtime Teaneck resident and proud Jewish Link contributor, Joe Rotenberg, z”l, who passed away suddenly early last week.

It’s hard to describe Joe Rotenberg in one relatively short column. I laughed along

It was last Wednesday afternoon on our deadline day when I heard the terrible news that Shira Shatzkes, a young Teaneck mother of five, had suffered a brain aneurysm and was in critical condition, which is where she still remains as I write this on our deadline day once again. I made the decision then not to put anything into last

Last Thursday morning, I had the honor of accompanying my friend and accident survivor Micah Kaufman to the Teaneck Police headquarters. He sponsored and spoke at a lunch for the entire department as part of thanking them for helping to save his life. Teaneck police responded to the late December 2019 accident

On Wednesdays, Jewish Link editors spend the day reviewing multiple drafts,  checking headlines, captions and spellings. It is almost exclusively on those days that we finalize our cover and editorial page headlines. Late last Wednesday afternoon, as violence erupted in the Capitol, we knew we’d have to rip out our planned front-page

Last year, my wife and I were honored at Yachad NJ’s annual gala and I published in this space a column about our family’s many strong connections with, and affection for, Yachad and how much Yachad has done for us and our special son, Zev. It was a very special night for us and one I will remember always.

We at The Jewish Link, like most of our readers, have many thoughts and opinions about the year 2020, which is ending now as we go to print.

Arguably the most difficult year any of us can recall, we feel few would want to eke out even a few more moments of 2020.

For