Posts about people I meet and my happenings
February 28, 2026 Parshas Tzavah - Parshas Zachor Setsuzo Kutsuji Lucy S. Dawidowicz - Nancy Sinkoff We are still in Florida. This Shabbos finished the book published by Koren, Kotzuji’s Gift: The Daring Rescue of Japan’s Jewish Refugees. The book has a foreword by Rabbi Meir Yaakov Soloveichik. It contains two smaller books. 1) The …
Continue reading Exploring Jewish Identity: Lessons from History
Parshas Vayechi - December 31, 2025 Chabad of East Lakeview - My Sermon Dr. Leonard Kranzler Memorial Shiur Beautiful Explanation by Matt on Verse 48:20 - יָדַ֤עְתִּֽי בְנִי֙ יָדַ֔עְתִּי Heated Debate at the Shiur My Torah The Good Hands People https://www.allstatecorporation.com/stories/good-hands-logo-slogan.aspx#:~:text=Finding%20the%20right%20hands%20to,Saturday%20Evening%20Post%20and%20Collier's. Shabbos Day: The Rabbi was away for Shabbos to attend Rabbi Hertz’s - his …
Parshas Vayeshev Torah #1 - Ba’al Hatrurim on Verse 37:1 Torah #2: Explanation of Verses leading to the Sale of Yosef Great Torah on Verse 37:26 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוּדָ֖ה אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו מַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י נַהֲרֹג֙ אֶת־אָחִ֔ינוּ וְכִסִּ֖ינוּ אֶת־דָּמֽוֹ׃ Rashi - מה בצע. מַה מָּמוֹן, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ Torah #1: Verse 37:1 וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּאֶ֖רֶץ מְגוּרֵ֣י אָבִ֑יו בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃ Now Jacob …
December 17 - 20, 2025 Ready for the Chabad of East Lakeview Chanukah Menorah parade. Wednesday, December 17th, 2025: Tova had a tonsillectomy today. Boruch Hashem, it went well. Danny drove us to the Fort Lauderdale Airport for our 2:40 flight to Chicago. Boruch Hashem, it was an empty flight, only 30 percent full and …
May 2, 2025 The first Rashi brings down Reb Simlai Divrei Dovid – the Taz’s work on Rashi Sugihara אשה כי תזריע. אָ"רַ שִׂמְלַאי: כְּשֵׁם שֶׁיְּצִירָתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם אַחַר כָּל בְּהֵמָה חַיָּה וָעוֹף בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית, כָּךְ תּוֹרָתוֹ נִתְפָּרְשָׁה אַחַר תּוֹרַת בְּהֵמָה חַיָּה וָעוֹף (ויקרא רבה יד): Slightly different in the Medresh, although seems the same: …
The Almost Rabbinic Roots of the Gettysburg Address Shem HaGedolim HaChadosh Visit with Rebbetzin Chaya Small Davening at Buckingham Pavilion Sheldon Stern – Yizkor Sunday Night, ShavuotDavened at Bais Mint. Serka served a great meal: eggplant parmesan, broccoli pasta, and tuna melt from Slices (formerly Tel Aviv Pizza). Shalom, Hudi, and Tzvi ate with us. …
Continue reading The Almost Rabbinic Roots of the Gettysburg Address
וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ חָרָֽנָה vs וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ לְחָרָן Was the Ladder Straight or Slanted Rembrandt’s Jacob’s Ladder Verse 28:10: וַיֵּצֵ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב מִבְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ חָרָֽנָה׃ The first question is that in the previous sedra, Padan Aram is mentioned three times, but here it is changed to Charan. Maybe the Torah is telling us a premonition for the future …
October 24, 2025 Linda Kahn Today Helen called me to say that Linda Kahn died. The funeral will be in Milwaukee on Sunday, with Shiva at her brother’s house in Northbrook. Linda had a hard life. She was close to her siblings, cousins, and other family. She did have a close family in Anshei Sholom …
Parshas Vayera Parshas Chaya Sarah Being Blessed “Bakol” Yishmael Comment #1: Parshas Vayera: Verses 22:20 - 22:23: וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַיֻּגַּ֥ד לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר הִ֠נֵּ֠ה יָלְדָ֨ה מִלְכָּ֥ה גַם־הִ֛וא בָּנִ֖ים לְנָח֥וֹר אָחִֽיךָ׃ אֶת־ע֥וּץ בְּכֹר֖וֹ וְאֶת־בּ֣וּז אָחִ֑יו וְאֶת־קְמוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִ֥י אֲרָֽם׃ וְאֶת־כֶּ֣שֶׂד וְאֶת־חֲז֔וֹ וְאֶת־פִּלְדָּ֖שׁ וְאֶת־יִדְלָ֑ף וְאֵ֖ת בְּתוּאֵֽל׃ וּבְתוּאֵ֖ל יָלַ֣ד אֶת־רִבְקָ֑ה שְׁמֹנָ֥ה אֵ֙לֶּה֙ יָלְדָ֣ה מִלְכָּ֔ה לְנָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם׃ Eight …
Simi Mandelbaum Bar Mitzvah Tiferet Levy Sara Wolkenfeld’s Sister’s Passing Or Hachaim on Genesis 15:15 Yishmael’s Bris Yishmael's Righteousness Friday night I davened by Sidney Glenner at the Base Ment Minyan. I wore my light blue jacket I purchased from the Brown Elephant for $14. I love the jacket and how it looks on me. …
Continue reading November 4, 2022 – Shabbos Parshas Lech Lecha
