As originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post on February 3, 2024. “I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress.” -Ronald Reagan This week we have the privilege of reading the 10 commandments. At the beginning of the Torah portion, we read […]
As originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post on January 26, 2024. “Israel was not created in order to disappear – Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and […]
As originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post on January 19, 2024. “I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” -Ernest Hemingway When meeting with prospective clients I try and get a feeling for how much risk they are willing to take. When I start asking about […]
As originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post on January 11, 2024. “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” John Quincy Adams In this week’s Torah portion, Vaera, we read about events that led up to the exodus from Egypt. Speaking about where this portion fits in the broader […]
As originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post on January 6, 2024. “I had a very detailed retirement plan, and I feel like I’ve met every aspect of it: a lot of golf, a lot of carbs, a lot of fried food, and some booze, occasionally – I’ve been completely committed… The results have shown.” – […]
As originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post on December 29, 2023. This week we wrap up the Book of Genesis. We have read week after week about siblings who don’t get along with each other. Sibling rivalries that led to murder, attempted murder, banishment, the selling of a brother, and more. The Ramban (Nachmanides) has […]
As originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post on December 22, 2023. “The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.” – Billy Graham Earlier this week, I paid a shiva (condolence) call to […]
As originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post on December 15, 2023. In between eating latkes and lighting candles – notice I didn’t mention any sufganiyot that I managed to avoid – I had a couple of meetings with parents who have children who are engaged to be married. Both sets of parents were pushing their […]
As originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post on December 8, 2023. I’m on my version of the protein diet, but there ain’t no protein in it. It’s a Krispy Kreme doughnut between two Cinnabons. And you soak it overnight in Red Bull. Then you chase it with a Snickers. -J. B. Smoove It’s Chanukah and […]
As originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post on December 2, 2023. ‘Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the cornfield,” former US president Dwight D. Eisenhower once said. One night last week my beloved wife cooked up some sweet corn. It was unanimous that this was […]
