Hanukkah celebrates the miraculous military and spiritual victory orchestrated by a handful of poorly trained and inadequately equipped Hasmonean fighters over the superior Seleucid (Greek) forces of Antiochus IV. The Jewish leader, Judah Maccabee, son of Mathias, had risen in opposition to the Hellenic kulturkampf that had been waged against his people. He led his... Read more »
Chinuch refers to realizing the inherent capability…for whichever task, or the capability of a house or an object to fulfill its function… When it is used to refer to the education of children, then the meaning is to raise and develop the child’s nature and capabilities. (Rabbi Kalonymous Kalman Shapira of Piaseczno, Chovas
This past Sunday I traveled to Phoenix in order to present at a national conference for school business officials. When my teenagers found out where I was going, my trip quickly took on new meaning. To them, the conference was really only a means to a loftier purpose, which was to shop at a local clearance store called Last Chance.
Imagine that you are driving on the highway on your way to visit an old friend. The area is new and unfamiliar. Your GPS has lost satellite reception so you’re forced to rely on the notes that you hurriedly jotted down during the last conversation that you had with your
Leadership may not be the first word that comes to mind when describing teachers. In fact some comprehensive lists of teacher descriptors, such as this one, include such predictable terms as prepared, enthusiastic, and supportive, but mention nothing specific about
Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai was one of the great heroes in Jewish history. A descendant of the house of David, he was the leading sage at the time of churban Bayis Sheini. As the Jews and Romans were struggling for control of the Holy City, he managed to escape from the capital and engage the Roman
One of the most surreal moments of my memorable yeshiva experience lasted all but a few seconds and really didn’t involve me, at least not directly. The walk between my Beis Yisroel apartment and Mir Yerushalayim, a walk that I took multiple times a day, included a series of
One of the most famous American photos was captured by reporter George Tames on February 10, 1961. The picture is of President John F. Kennedy, recently inaugurated, standing hunched over in the Oval Office. From behind, it looks as if he is carrying the weight of the
