There are many ways to show support for medical personnel who are risking their own safety in order to save lives during this pandemic. Some people have taken to standing on their balconies to cheer the doctors and nurses as they end their shifts in the ER. Others, including a growing number of STEM teachers at schools in the Teach

One of the sentiments I’ve been hearing from certain people these days is that they are trying to savor this rare moment in time where some of the pressures of life have dissipated. Ten weeks have past since schools have closed. We haven’t been to the gym or the mall (or the dentist) in 10 weeks, and some people are actually enjoying

(Courtesy of Ashley Blaker) With worldwide restrictions on public gatherings, and communities suffering financially like never before, Ashley Blaker has begun performing online shows for synagogues, schools, yeshivas and charities on a completely pay what they like basis. Already many organisations from the U.S. to the U.K. to Australia

On April 22, the president signed a proclamation suspending immigration into the United States in what was claimed to be a response to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Intended to protect jobs from foreign nationals during the ongoing contraction, the proclamation suspends the issuance of immigrant visas to those who

(Courtesy of Chai Lifeline) These past few weeks have been challenging for all of us, but for many Chai Lifeline families, the impact of COVID-19 has been particularly devastating. Navigating the complexities of childhood illness is difficult enough under the best of circumstances. Doing so during a pandemic can be

On the last day of Passover, the Yizkor prayer helps us commemorate our dead. This year I recited the prayer in the solitude of my living room—slowly mouthing the words and thinking of all the losses I and my fellow humans are enduring.

Ostensibly I was reciting the Yizkor prayers for my father, a

Throughout this pandemic, amid the stay-at-home orders and near lockdowns, people nationwide are coping and comforting each other in their own unique ways. Social media is replete with suggestions by members of the mental health communities offering words of wisdom on how to maintain your mental health in this very new world in

Growing up in Fair Lawn, I felt quite privileged to live across town from my Grandma Rhoda and Grandpa George, z”l. That meant picnics with my friends in their backyard on Alyson Street, sitting next to my Grandma in shul, bumping into her around town during the week and, my favorite, spending the Pesach Seders with them together

Family came first with Grandpa and I believe it came from his parents, Yaakov and Miriam, H”YD. Whenever he spoke about his parents, it wasn’t just “my father, my mother”—it was my “dear father/dear mother.” He spoke of his parents with such reverence and awe—I could not help but notice that the commandment

We have talked in the past about adjusting your child’s seating for better attention, especially during Zoom school. Adding a fidget toy can also help tremendously. I made fidget toys with my kids, and my 5-year-old has been using them during her Zoom sessions. I can see that she is able to concentrate better.

Fidgets of any kind

Reviewing: “Rav Noach Weinberg: Torah Revolutionary,” by Yonasson Rosenblum. Mosaica Press. 2020. English. Hardcover. 454 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1946351876.

Two sentences into the long-awaited biography “Rav Noach Weinberg: Torah Revolutionary” by Yonason Rosenblum and I was ready to

“Explorations Expanded: Sefer Bereishit,” by Rabbi Ari Kahn. Kodesh Press. 2019. English. Paperback. 351 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1947857292.

A prolific scholar and lecturer like Rabbi Kahn needs no introduction, and his books have already earned their place on the Jewish bookshelf