Tanner St Trouble…<br>Parshas Devarim
As a child, Will always seemed to gravitate to more violent forms of play than the other boys in his neighborhood. Even when his mother took away his toy guns and swords, Will found a way to turn the most…
Stay Fresh My Friends, Stay Fresh!<br>Parshas Matos-Masei 5784
What’s not to love about avocado? Soft and velvety, with a thick rich texture and a flavor that’s a delightful cross of butter, nuts, and fresh earth, avocados are simply awesome. If you don’t believe me, ask the good people…
I’m Really Uncomfortable…<br>Parshas Pinchas 5784
The history of the Jews in Budapest is a bit complicated and tortuous. Like many places in Europe, the Jews were alternatively invited or banished based on the mood and economic desires of the rulers of the time. In 1279,…
Bar B Who?<br>Parshas Balak 5784
Fire burning flesh. It doesn’t sound too appetizing until you think of cooking meat, which follows that exact recipe. And if it’s really good BBQ, it’s probably fire burning flesh really sloooooowly. Growing up, the word BBQ meant cooking hot…
Mindfulness, Meditation, and Me<br>Parshas Chukas
Everyone knew that Sean Dowd loved yoga, he pretty much lived his life in yoga clothing, consciously screaming of his yoga crush to the whole world. But his closer friends also knew that he loved anything “Eastern and spiritual.” He…
Navy SEALs in My Home!<br>Parshas Korach 5784
About seventy five percent of the trainees who start the Navy SEALs training program, drop out before it’s done. And it’s not like anyone can get into this program, one must first excel in the regular Navy and then successfully…
You can Bounce Back<br>Parshas Shelach 5784
Traveling to the Amazonian jungle in the mid-1800 was dangerous and harrowing. Bringing your entire mishpacha with you would either be described as blindly optimistic or just plain foolish. But when Henry Wickham decamped from England to build a plantation…
Those Guys Attaching Stones<br>Parshas Be’halotcha 5784
We may be living in a time of shortages compared to a ten years ago. There is a shortage of affordable housing, affordable health insurance, and a shortage of affordable groceries. The cost of homes is up 47% from 2020,…
Buried Treasure<br>Parshas Bamidbar/Shavuos 5784
Being a Billionaire buys you a pretty big social pass. You can do many things that other people can’t and get away with it. You can walk into shul with your pants on backwards, and people will whisper to each…
Do You Want to See G-d in This World?<br>Parshas Bechukosai
Last Friday, I had a visitor. There was a knock on the door about 11:30AM, and when I answered the door, I saw a tall, thin, older gentlemen of Israeli Chassidic persuasion, with a kindly face, and a slightly haggard…