Features
Clifton Cheder Opens New Campus
Fourteen years ago, Clifton Cheder opened its doors to the Passaic-Clifton community. Its mission was to create a nurturing environment for children ages 2 through grade eight, incorporating a love of Torah and mitzvot and inculcating chesed and middot tovot. Today, due to its success in implementing these goals, Clifton
‘Tell Your Rabbis’
“Tell your rabbis, tell your rabbis…” said the soft and sincere voice to me.
It was about a week before last Rosh Hashanah, and I was just leaving the office of my internist after a review visit just before the new year. After a thorough physical exam, the doctor asked me directly, “And how are
The Disastrous Repercussions of Divided Loyalties
If you had to compress the teachings of Tanach into one simple sentence, that sentence would be “you reap what you sow,” or middah k’neged middah. In light of this central principle, we can explain why Hashem punished Shlomo HaMelech by splitting his kingdom (Melachim I Perek 11).
Unlike other
Beyond the Rituals
Parshat Toldot
The precise identity of the last prophet in Trei Asar, the navi Malachi, is shrouded in mystery, with the Gemara in Megilla (15a) quoting various opinions, including those identifying him as Ezra or as Mordechai. Most scholars, however, agree with the majority opinion of the rabbis that
A Story From 1948 About Harry Truman and Israel
Most of this column is based on Allis and Ronald Radosh, “A Safe Haven: Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel.”
Harry Truman had a friend in Kansas City, Eddie Jacobson. They jointly ran a canteen in the military. Later they ran a clothing store together for about one year.
The Power of Words
In a recent conversation with some fourth grade students, the topic of conversation turned to the following question: “What is the greatest invention ever created?” (Note: This question can be used to liven up a dinner discussion with kids at home if you are looking for a fun conversation starter.) The range of answers from the students
In the Shadow of a Giant
The Gemara of Chagigah 12b cites a baraisa that states: “Woe to those people who see but do not realize what they are seeing, who stand but do not realize upon what they are standing.” The baraisa goes on to state different pillars upon which the world stands on. In Pirkei Avos (perek aleph mishna beis), three pillars are
The Sephardic Ashkenazic Encounter in the Holy Land in the 18th and 19th Centuries
By the mid 18th century, separate communities of Ashkenazim and Sephardim developed in various parts of the Land of Israel. While there had been various Jewish communities in the Holy Land since the destruction of the Temple, the Sephardic community of the “Old Yishuv” owed its genesis to descendants of Spanish exiles
Teaneck Parents Struggle to Pivot as BOE Votes 5-4 to Delay In-Person Instruction
After starting the school year with remote learning, Teaneck public schools were slated to open in person on November 16 for pre-K, kindergarten and special education classes. Many parents and children had waited months for this moment. Then at last week’s meeting, the Teaneck Board of Education voted 5-4 to delay the
Open Minds to Open Houses
It is the season for open houses and consideration for new schools. Whether looking to start at the entry-level grade or to transfer midway, there is much to consider when making this important decision.
Each mode of communication from schools to prospective families about its day-to-day operations or
The Tikvah Fund’s Abraham Lincoln Teachers Fellowship And Some Reflections on Jews in the United States
In September 1825, Mordecai Noah, diplomat, playwright and America’s best-known Jew at the time, spoke of building a “city of refuge” for Jews in the promised land of America, a city to be called Ararat after the mountain where another Noah came to rest after the flood.
Mordecai Noah used the
Internships, Awards and Engagement Programs Are Available for Jewish Teens
So you are the parent of a high school student. What an exciting, yet often stressful, time for both of you. Is your child feeling like they need to spread their wings? Do you wonder how to help them grow in a positive way? Do you also wonder how to do this within a Jewish context? If your answers are yes, please see the wonderful
