Of Pets and People Parshas Toldos 5786
There is a man whose name I won’t tell you, who has a dog, whose name I will tell you. It’s Piney. Piney was named that because his “Mommy” had a dream that she would have dog named Piney. Piney…
To Recycle Or Not To Recycle – That is the Question
If you ever get a ride in my car, you might notice a collection of empty water bottles sitting quietly in the front passenger footwell. They have no more purpose to me, and I would throw them out in gas…
An Ode To Diversity Parshas Vayera 5786
This week was Bli Ayin Hara, my oldest son’s birthday. When looking back at Shabbos emails from years gone by, I found this one, and while it’s a bit dated, I thought it was really nice, so we’re doing a…
Can you count? Do you count? Parshas Lech Lecha 5786
Let’s start with a number: 38,055,354,510,682, also known as, thirty eight trillion, fifty five billion, and change. I’m sure many of you recognize this number as the total US National Debt. But I’m sure none of you know what that…
I have a great partner for you! Parshas Bereishit 5786
The historical information in this essay is mostly culled from Bill Bryson’s book on human anatomy and physiology, The Body. For most of human history, scratching your arm on a rusty nail could be a death sentence. The scratch wasn’t the…
Time to get Happy!! Parshas Ha’azuni/Succos
For most people, the rule of thumb is to stick to what you’re good at. But there are those rare individuals who can’t seem to stick to anything and are good at everything. Joseph Paxton was one of those people,…
Can I be My Own Lawyer? Parshas Vayelech/Yom Kippur
It was hot, I was trapped, and it was getting hotter. I fidgeted uncomfortably in my seatfor a few minutes, and then I unbuckled myself and starting moving around my littleprison. Inevitably, as a normal seven-year-old, I soon found myself…
The Rosh Hashanah Tourist<br>Parshas Nitzavim/Rosh Hashana
Moskva, Moskva, Moskva… The 900-year-old city sitting astride the Moskva River, with its torturous and at times glorious history, is now the most populated city in Europe. The capital of the largest country in the world, it is the cultural,…
The Blanket in the Sky <br>Ki Saitzei 5785
We crossed into Egypt at the Taba Border Crossing around midnight. I was exhausted, dirty, and bone weary after two utterly crazy days in Jordan, but I trudged up to passport control with resigned indifference. If it were up to…
Bigger Is Not Always Better!
Bigger is not always better. Robert Wadlow, the tallest man ever on record, would surely tell you that. He was born on Feb. 22nd, 1918 to Addie and Harold Wadlow of Alton, Illinois at a normal weight of eight pounds,…