Author: Yaakov Menken

For Jewish day school children everywhere, one potential highlight of the holiday season is a biannual ritual known as the “Chol HaMoed trip,” a family outing taken during the “intermediate days” of Pesach and...

With everyone busy preparing for Pesach [Passover], I thought to pass along the following: Ner L’Elef, a training institute for Jewish outreach and leadership based in Jerusalem, has published a Seder Guide written by...

While the Catholic Church may have undertaken to change its attitude towards the Jewish People more than a generation ago, I think it is taking somewhat longer for Jews to change their attitude towards...

In response to Toby Katz’s entry about Terri Schiavo’s death, “Michael” made the following comment: If you starve an animal to death, you will be put in jail. Why is Terri worse than an...

For all the talk of “triumphalist” Orthodoxy, the Agudah (and everyone else) has been remarkably muted about what transpired across America a few weeks ago. The Siyum HaShas was greeted with enthusiasm, to be...

A translation: Siyum HaShas means Completion of the Talmud. People make a small celebration to mark the Siyum, completion, of a single tractate of Talmud or one of the six orders of the Mishnah....

Someone pointed out to me that Mikey Butler’s first yahrtzeit was about this time — 3 Shevat was Jan. 13 this year (he passed away on Jan. 26, 2004). He was, according to his...

In the wake of British Prince Harry’s poor choice of costume, a host of condemnations have poured in from around the globe. This began at home, where the Sun Newspaper (England’s largest) reacted with...

When I took high school biology, the English Peppered Moth, Biston betularia, was offered as an example of evolution in action via natural selection. Ordinarily these moths are light and mottled, and almost invisible...

While Jeff debated with Rav Reinman the virtues of forced population transfers in Israel, I was at least equally troubled — at least initially — by the use of the Palestinian “Naqba” (disaster, referring...