The day I returned from my recent trip to Israel, I attended the funeral of my dear friend Dr. Richard Dackow. Richard and his wife Linda were early students of Project Genesis Interfaith and participated in one of our pilgrimages to Israel. Richard, a devout Catholic, spent most of his time there at Israeli hospitals [...]
While traveling through Israel during the past two weeks, I saw unforgettable sights — pictures of the kidnapped, of course, but also a sign that reads “Beyachad Nenatzeach” (Together we will win). Togetherness may not have been one of the goals of this war, but it is a goal of the Jewish people to cohere. [...]
The dramatic pro-Palestinian demonstration that took place on Nov. 15 gave witness that Columbia University continues to be a battlefield and a tinderbox of Palestinian Protest, colored by a distortion (intentional or not) of the Palestinian cause. Since 2008, I have seen the slow progress of Apartheid Week on the Columbia campus, developing from a [...]
What a difference a Shabbat makes… It’s been three weeks since Israel was attacked and brought into war once again. We gathered at our shul for a special time of prayers, and another time on Shelter Island with 80 people coming to show support. We said the Blessing for Israel and Mi Sheberach for IDF [...]
As a traveler, I have crisscrossed America many times — back and forth, up and down. I’ve climbed mountains and descended into valleys and canyons. This year, at 50 years old, my goal was to visit Alaska and Hawaii, the last two of the 50 states. I planned this trip for many months, interviewed friends who [...]
On the third day of my trip to Alaska, I was on my way to the Arctic Circle with a Jewish Alaskan, one of the so-called “Frozen Chosen.” Looking at earth as a human head, the Arctic Circle would be its Yarmulke (kippa). The land within the Arctic Circle includes eight countries: United States, Russia, [...]
On July 2, I was asked to deliver an invocation at the Village of Orient’s observance of Heritage Day. In planning my remarks to the villagers and guests, I was reminded that only a few years previous, I had the distinct honor to share that spot with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor. This time [...]
As her three-year term as the president of our beloved CTI closes, I want to thank Judy Weiner, and express my deepest gratitude and heartfelt appreciation for her outstanding leadership and unwavering dedication throughout the time. Her steadfast commitment to the growth and prosperity of our synagogue have helped propel it into the future, especially [...]
Over the past few decades, a new initiative toward peace has emerged — Jewish-Christian interfaith pilgrimages to the Holy Land. These inclusive visits to sites holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims lay the groundwork for understanding and acceptance among the travelers and, in a way, serve as test cases for peace in a controlled environment. [...]
My class recently visited “The Sassoons,” an exhibit at the Jewish Museum in Manhattan. Through family photographs, documents, artwork, and textiles, we observed the history and legacy of this prominent and wealthy Jewish family of Iraqi origin. They were known as the “Rothschilds of the East.” It is a family story told through four generations of traders, socialites, [...]
