The Rise of the Desert Diamond – Parshat Devarim/Tisha B’av

In 1867, a fifteen-year-old South African boy named Erasmus Jacobs noticed an unusual stone lying near the Orange River as it made its way through his father’s farm. It was yellowish, transparent, and attractive enough that he gave it to the local children who collected nice stones to play jacks with. But a neighbor became

The Three Weeks and Tisha Ba’av 5786

Background We are in mourning. We are in the middle of the 3 weeks, a period of mourning that leads up to and includes the 9th of Av, the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, the day that both the first and second Temples were destroyed. This year the fast of Tisha B’av will be

Here’s what we’re really good at…Parshas Mattos Masei 5786

Let’s talk trash for a moment. It’s one of the few things that American do exceptionally well. The world will throw out over 5 trillion pounds of garbage this year (here’s a visual to help you grasp that: 5,000,000,000,000 pounds!), and despite only making up 4.2% of the world population, Americans will account for 13%

RCLS: Iyar- Batsheva

Mrs. Dassie Bausk | “She makes for herself garments; her clothis is fine linen and purple.” 2026 Print this article

Filling the Miracle Tank Parshas Matos Masay 5768

Torah, Tefillah, and the Two Fronts of Jewish Survival There are few topics in the Jewish world today that create as much pain, tension, and misunderstanding as the question of army service and yeshiva learning in Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel. On one side, there are families sending sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers into

Live from the Catskills: July 5th

Live from the Catskills | Mrs. Racheli Indig Print this article