Today is Tu B’Shvat, the New Year of the Trees. It is celebrated on the fifteenth of the Hebrew month of Shvat. The Talmud tells us that there are four New Years in the Jewish calendar. The New Year of the Trees represents the beginning of spring and a new agricultural cycle in Israel. On …
Today is my fathers Yortzeit. He passed away sixteen years ago on the Hebrew date of Yud Daled Shvat in Jerusalem. To commemorate his passing, I often visit Israel on this date. This year however I am honoring his memory by staying at home here in New York. My family needs me here. What my …
As an American Jew I am always inspired when one of our political leaders visits the Kotel- the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Whether its President Obama, President Trump, or Vice President Pence, their visits give me a great sense of hope, inspiration, and pride. When our Lev Lalev girls visit the Kotel, they also inspire …
On August 28, 1963 (two weeks before my Bar Mitzvah) Martin Luther King delivered his groundbreaking and famous “I had a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. At that time, I had dreams too……. Even as a young boy I yearned for the release of Jews from the USSR- Shalach es ami …