Rabbi Ysoscher Katz responded to the alleged welfare fraud and arrest of seven Lakewood couples in a timesofisrael.com blog (Understanding Lakewood, Understanding Ourselves). Rabbi Katz essentially claims that Chareidim get stuck on minority halachik opinions from centuries ago which frame their attitudes and lead to their
I remember the comment as if it were yesterday. As a high school teacher living in Chicago, I had been invited to a school weekend “spirit” event for students and faculty at an area hotel. The facility’s sat on a sprawling property and its layout was unconventional to say the least, which made navigation from one place to another
A week before my trip to Israel one winter break, I got an email from a friend, Rafael Sait, asking me if I had any space in my suitcase to bring over some Romanian meat for him. A little background is required here: The Romanian butchery in Chicago on the corner of Clark and Touhy is probably the most
The New York Times recently featured a front-page article on polyamory, i.e. open marriage, with photos of people in various types of relationships. The article was sympathetic, verging on apologetics; it came across as a cultural attack on monogamy. Two things stood out for me: the brazenness of the front-page placing of the
Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony. Thomas Merton Many of us, particularly busy leaders, struggle to achieve and maintain proper balance in our lives. We seek to succeed in the work arena while simultaneously being there for our families
Once upon a time there was a prince who was living with his family in a beautiful palace. Unfortunately, after a while, the prince and his extended family began to fight amongst themselves. They called each other names and attempted to discredit each other and eventually there was baseless hatred between them. The
This week’s parasha, in describing Moshe’s plea to Hashem about his immediate successor, details what true leadership looks like. “Let the L-rd, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, who may go out before them, and who may go in before them, and who 
