Judaism’s greatest lesson: Behavior matters most

By Dennis Prager
Published on February 13, 2013

If I were asked to identify the greatest Jewish teaching, the most important lesson to be learned from all of Judaism, I would argue that, aside from ethical monotheism, it is that behavior matters more than anything else, and certainly more than feelings.

Boys and their animal instincts

By Julia Bendis
Published on September 5, 2011

Is Matchmaking a Mitzvah and how many are supposed to accomplish in our lifetime?

By Julia Bendis
Published on February 28, 2011

Madoff’s Redemption

By David Suissa
Published on December 24, 2008

It's like a quadruple shot of cheap vodka that you drink quickly on an empty stomach. You feel disgusted and drunk at the same time.

Let's confront, I mean, let's <I>talk</I>

By Amy Klein
Published on October 12, 2006

Men will do anything -- and I mean anything, from changing their phones, emails and even primary residences, to joining the army during wartime -- rather than confront a woman. By "confront," I mean, "talk directly to." They just don't like it.

Orthodox youth not immune to high-risk lifestyles

By Julie G Fax
Published on September 28, 2006

Some kids aren't cut out for academic rigor. Leaving them in a mismatched environment often leads them toward self-destructive paths to failure

Never Been Mugged

By Helen Schary Motro
Published on September 22, 2005

In the door pocket of my car I have one road atlas of Israel, one map of the streets of Tel Aviv, one map of the Galilee and, at last count, no fewer than five of Jerusalem. I am always apprehensive of taking the wrong road, and winding up where I might be perceived as an unwelcome intruder.

Sportsmanship Starts With Parents

By Julie M. Brown
Published on September 1, 2005

Years ago, when my son was beginning his foray into competitive tennis, I entered him in a local, somewhat low-key tournament intended to introduce new players to tennis competition. I thought it would be fun. But as I watched my son's match, the activity one court over distracted me. A father was screaming at his son from the sideline, for making an error. The boy grew frustrated and angry; their interchange was embarrassing.

An official informed the father that he'd be removed if he could not keep quiet. A short while later, when the boy lost, he threw his racquet and burst into tears. He could barely bring himself to shake his opponent's hand.

Surprised? Not really. While there are multiple reasons some kids end up being bad sports, parents usually receive the most blame -- something we moms and dads ought to consider as another sports season is set to kick off.

Thanks, but No Thanks

By Mark Miller
Published on June 16, 2005

As far as I know, there are no such things as federal laws pertaining to dating. Oh, sure, there was that book "The Rules," a few years back, but those weren't federal laws; those were simply man-made, or rather, woman-made rules or suggestions. As to why there are no federal laws governing dating -- that's a no-brainer.

Bird’s-Eye View

By Rabbi Haim Ovadia
Published on April 14, 2005

The message is a universal one and it is directed to all mankind. How much better would the world be if we looked at people and thought first of what we have in common with us instead of analyzing how they differ from and are therefore inferior to us?

Elder Rage: What I Know Now

By Jacqueline Marcell
Published on August 5, 2004

For 11 years. I begged my obstinate elderly father to allow a caregiver to help him with my ailing mother, but he adamantly insisted on taking care of her himself. Every caregiver I hired to help him said, "Jacqueline, I just can't work with your father -- his temper is impossible to handle. I don't think you'll be able to get him to accept help until he's on his knees himself."

Commitment’s Price

By Judy Gruen
Published on July 8, 2004

These days, many women complain about the epidemic of males who run in terror from the thought of a committed relationship.

Israeli Tourists ‘Ugly’ No More

By Larry Derfner
Published on June 17, 2004

Leafing through travel books on Turkey at Tel Aviv's L'Metayel (For the Traveler), veteran sojourner Ronen Lazar suggests how to curb the phenomenon of the "ugly Israeli" -- the obnoxious Israeli tourist.

End the Preoccupation

By Michael Brooks
Published on February 26, 2004

Israel advocacy on campus has become a front-burner enterprise for the American Jewish community. Attacks by anti-Israel campus activists, including a fair number of Jewish students and faculty, demoralize and often intimidate most Jewish students who are ill-equipped to counter these efforts to delegitimize Israel. It is a mark of the Jewish community's growing concern that more than 25 national organizations are now involved in training campus activists to defend and promote Israel and thereby inspire Jewish students to feel a sense of pride in themselves and the Jewish State.

Limits Needed to Set Path for Youths

By Rabbi Daniel Greyber
Published on November 27, 2003

A few weeks ago, three students at Milken Community Jewish High School in Los Angeles were expelled for making a sexually explicit video of themselves that was eventually seen by members of the student community. Many parents and teachers in the Jewish community have expressed confusion at how educated Jewish students at a school like Milken did what they did.

But to think that what happened at Milken is isolated to the particulars of the parent-child relationships of the families involved is myopic -- and too easy. To be sure, such behavior is not widespread in our children's communities. But we can be relatively certain that for every incident brought to light, many more are hidden in the shadows.

Teachable Moment

By Jane Ulman
Published on September 25, 2003

The rabbis of the Talmud tell us that we are created with yetzer hatov (good inclination) or yetzer harah (bad inclination).

He’s No Robert Redford

By Adam Wills
Published on May 15, 2003

An Irish multimillionaire pining for a London teacher offered her husband $1 million to divorce her in a real-life "Indecent Proposal" that has scandalized London's Orthodox Jewish community, according to a May 4 report in London's Sunday Times.

Ethics and Ironies

By Rabbi Avi Shafran
Published on November 14, 2002

In our sex-saturated -- and in fact, as a result, sexist -- society, men and women eschewing handshakes to avoid any semblance of misplaced sexuality might seem a bit much to many.

What’s In a Name?

By Rob Eshman
Published on October 3, 2002

I check surnames. It's a reflex, and I can't help it. If you're like most Jews I know, you do it too.

AMBER: The U.S. Moral Alert

By Rabbi Eli Hecht
Published on September 19, 2002

At least once a week, we hear reports of missing children. Some are found alive and others, tragically, dead.

Hate Israel, Not Jews

By Michael J. Jordan
Published on April 11, 2002

It was on full display last year at the global anti-racism conference in Durban, South Africa, but the "demonization" of Israel has reached a fever pitch during the past month with the surging death toll in the Middle East, say Jewish observers.

Even as Holocaust Remembrance Day is marked this week, anti-Israel critics worldwide increasingly are employing Nazi and Holocaust imagery and analogies to describe the Jewish state's behavior toward the Palestinians.

The Years of Persecution

By Tom Tugend
Published on July 3, 1997

As the decades pass, why does the Holocaust retain, and even expand, its grip on the consciousness of the world and of its scholars, writers and filmmakers?