Author: Yitzchok Adlerstein

A visit to Johannesburg began with elation in the company of a thriving Torah community, and ended with a mussar shmuess from some refugees from Zimbabwe. I’m not sure that there is anything like...

Leaving Israel was always difficult for me, but I figured that this time, embarking on my first major trip back to the West, would be different. I was wrong. It was always the uncertainty...

The OU handed down its long-awaited decision on the status of member shuls which employ female clergy. It was a significant victory for the Torah community, an accomplishment that the OU can be proud...

Yesterday, 14 Shevat was the yahrzeit of R Aryeh Kaplan z”l, one of the most important teachers of Torah in the 20th century, and a huge influence on my early life. I would not...

From Israel, a different chunk of the globe falls within easy travel range to the former American. Should someone have a reason or predisposition to visit Europe, frequent and cheap flights make many cities...

Then there is the one about the Russian ticket collector who accosts a Jew in one of the train cars. “What makes Jews so smart?” “Herring,” responds the Jew. “How much do you want...

Alas, trips to the supermarket need to be repeated. We tried the Osher Ad, closer to home. As we finished bagging our catch, I handed the cashier our magic piece of plastic. “Did you...

Buying appliances works differently here. When they drop off a refrigerator, you can’t just plug it in. You have to make an appointment with a technician from a service company to do the final...

Rabbi Hillel Goldberg, serious scholar, editor of the Intermountain Jewish News, and friend for decades, called shortly before I left the States, warning that I was on the cusp of never learning seriously again....

With huge thanks to HKBH, we arrived here two days ago. Lots of things to get done, and I have no intention of boring people. But I will offer it as an excuse for...