Features
Expect the Unexpected: Ashley Blaker’s Comic Odyssey
How does a young Jew from London who studied history at Oxford and began a doctoral program at Cambridge wind up as a comedy writer for the BBC and for British television legends like Graham Norton, and as a mid-life husband and father of six, a stand-up comic? Not a conventional path for a nice Jewish boy from the London suburbs.
Jewish Link SuperFan(s) of the Month: Spotlight on Susan & Robert Grosberg
One of the ways you can identify a couple who are truly good, decent, community-minded people is that when you ask if you can write about them, they are shocked and insist that they are hardly worth the attention. When you hear their life stories, however, you see immediately that they are role models in many ways.
Welcome to Reader Reflections
The Jewish Link is pleased to introduce a new column, Reader Reflections, which will feature short essays by residents in the Jewish communities we serve in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. We will invite submissions of 300 or fewer words on specific topics of interest that we will provide. For the first few columns, we seek essays on
What I’ve Gained From the COVID-19 Era
The unique challenges of the pandemic alarmed me, prompted me to alter many of my habits and at times cast a pall over seasons and circumstances that otherwise would have filled me with joy. I am optimistic, though, that as the new year unfolds, and the vaccine becomes more commonplace, many of the constraints of COVID will gradually
Individual Health Insurance Open Enrollment 2021
“Open enrollment” is basically a household word now, but there is still lots of confusion, especially this year with all the changes going on. Here’s a recap of why the next month is critical for which healthcare you’ll be enrolling in for 2021.
Individual health insurance is a health
Life at Seminary: Reflecting on the New Year
It was a couple of hours before Shabbat, a calm weekend in early November, and our seminary, Amudim, had brought us to southern Israel for Shabbat B’Tevah. Shabbat B’Tevah is an annual initiative to educate Amudim students on the halachot of keeping Shabbat “in the wilderness,” culminating in a camping trip to give
Ephraim Kanarfogel Publishes ‘Brothers From Afar’
This new book marks his 11th publication.
Highlighting: “Brothers From Afar: Rabbinic Approaches to Apostasy and Reversion in Medieval Europe” by Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel. Wayne State University Press. 2020. Paperback. English. 260 pages. ISBN-13:
Seeing Exodus in a New Light
Reviewing: “Exodus: A Parsha Companion” by David Fohrman. Maggid Books. 2020. English. Hardcover. 264 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1592645671.
When it comes to medical imaging, a radiologist is vital to understand what is going on in the image. At times, there may be things hiding
Is It Just Me?
An innocent walk from shul on Shabbos and a chance encounter with a good friend turned into more than I expected. Jokingly I asked if he was ready to get in line for the vaccine and his response was, “Every one of my cousins in Boro Park has already gotten it.” I asked, “Are they first responders?” “No,” he said, and I then
Having your say in The Link
Featuring Dovid Zelig DDS Photographed at the David Beyda Studio on 12-9-20
On Living here vs Israel:
After commuting for many years, we lived in Israel for a few years. To me,
Criticism of Israel at American Universities
“Threats, harassment, and grading discrimination—Jewish students in the U.S. are increasingly plagued by incidents of anti-Jewish sentiment on campuses, coming from both pro-Palestine Arab organizations and lecturers,” asserted journalist Dudi Caspi.
In an address at morning prayers in September
Hike Hook Mountain Along the Palisades
This seven-mile moderate hike loops around Hook Mountain on the Palisades of the Hudson River. It begins by following the Long Path along the undulating ridge, with many ups and downs, and returns via the level bike path along the river. Along the way, there are many views over the river. The
