Op-Ed: Yair-gate – A Royal Problem

There is something objectionable to the hard line reactions to news of Yair Netanyahu’s out-of-faith romance. It isn’t that the critics are wrong; only, they are going about it all wrong.

Op-Ed: I Hate This Word, So I Let a Man Write It on My Face

“I want to write Schvartze on your face and then take a picture.”

I was stunned and not stunned. This is what I was here for. It had to come down to this. I was sitting with photographer Steve Rosenfield, creator of the What I be Project. Steve offers people the opportunity to express their insecurities, by writing them on their faces. After a discussion about myself, Steve and I decided we would write Shvartze (yiddish/german for black) on my face.

Op-Ed: Letting Ourselves Enjoy the Shluchos’ Banquet

I honestly wanted to step away from the computer and forget that I ever had strong feelings on this subject. That way, I wouldn’t have to do anything about it. The thought, however, of possibly reaching one person out there and removing the false tune of failure playing in their heart compelled me to continue.

Op-Ed: The Warped Perspective on Tznius

It seems that there has been much written about Tznius over the years and, in most cases, it has to do with skirt length, head covering and various rabbis professing to know the thoughts of G-d. And yet, with all that has been written, so few seem to fully “get” what Tznius is.

Jews in Sports: Literary and Ice Worlds Collide

The road to National Hockey League fame and glory is often pock-marked by a myriad of stories among prospects and players alike in the manner for how each reached the summit of the ice sport, sprinkled in with a few interesting tidbits along the way.

Letter: As A Father, I Refuse to Babysit

Texas Shliach Rabbi Chaim Lazaroff explains why he refuses to babysit his children, this with his wife Chanie attending the International Kinus Hashluchos this week.

From R’ Yisroel Baal Shem Tov to R’ Yisroel Shemtov

“I have seen a true Ohev Yisroel!” is the title of a letter we received from one of our readers, who wishes to share with the community the kindness he experienced from a modern-day Baal Shem Tov in our community.

Op-Ed: The Parent/School Conundrum

They say that educating a child properly takes 50% skill, 50% prayers and 50% tears. This equation expresses two things: Firstly, my life-long frustration with all things math-related. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the difficulty and struggles that go along with trying to mold a living being into a mentsch.

Op-Ed: Assassination by Cliché

Character assassination is a misuse of freedom of the press. Especially when the assassination is based on speculation.

Op-Ed: Please Don’t Feed My Children

I have watched my daughters struggle to breathe. I stood by as they were wheeled into emergency rooms attached to oxygen masks and IV fluids. It doesn’t get easier; on the contrary, the fear deepens every time.

Open Letter: When the Dust Settles

In an open letter to Oholei Torah, a parent asks: When the dust settles and the fad of the Shofer is permanently behind us, what is the takeaway for the future? Will those entrusted with the education of our children see this as a lesson to be learned, or will it take another wakeup call (heaven forbid) to get the point across?

Blog: A Blow to the Shofar

Rabbi Shea Hecht, – author of “Confessions of a Jewish Cult Buster“- recently called the “Call Of The Shofar”, a LGAT (Large Group Awareness Training), a cult.

Op-Ed: Returning Democracy to Crown Heights

It’s been more than 3 years since the last election for Vaad and Rabbonim. The turn-out last time was unprecedented, and I believe it demonstrated the Schcuna’s desire for change.

Op-Ed: The Legacy of Nelson Mandela

It was the last night of Chanukah, December 26, 1992. We had just lit the last Chanukah candle and my father was driving me to the airport. As we drove he told me, “Always remember that on the 8th night of Chanukah you left South Africa to begin a new life in Israel.”

Op-Ed: The Other Victims of Child Abuse

I was not molested as a child, yet a number of close friends were. Boruch Hashem, the perpetrators are locked up. The tide has turned, and molestation is no longer tolerated, nor swept under the rug. Yet, there are some real questions that no one seems willing to address in a meaningful way.

Op-Ed: What Giant Menorahs Can Teach Judaism

Giant Menorahs, giant latkes and giant donuts – Chabad only goes giant. Many Chabad Houses have secured major city destinations for their giant Menorahs to be displayed. Chabad’s literal interpretation of Pirsumei Nisa, (Hebrew for “publicizing the miracle of Chanukah”), is usually accompanied by a major public kindling of the Menorah with city officials and hundreds of participants. Nothing Chabad does is ever on a small scale — from giant Menorahs to mobile Succahs to free High Holiday Services.

Op-Ed: A Frightening Portent for New York City

One interesting aspect of Bill de Blasio’s landslide victory in the New York mayoral race last month is that it leaves the city with very little electoral life outside the Left.