I grew up in South Africa where the school year ended in December and the new academic year began in January. It was also mid-summer over the new year period because South Africa is in the southern hemisphere where the reasons are the reverse of here in the US. So I always liked the end… Continue reading Channeling New Beginnings, Growing from Big Events in our Lives

After the traumatic massacre in Pittsburgh last month, I wanted to share some thoughts and to tell you what JET is doing to bring some light into a world that was darkened through such a senseless act that affected each of us. First, I wanted to share the thoughts of two rabbis, Rabbi Warren Goldstein,… Continue reading JET’s response to Pittsburgh – Bring More Light into the World

Written on July 4th, 2018 I love Chicago. It’s just a little harder to love it in the winter. Now that summer is finally here, here are eighteen reasons I love living in Chicago (including the winter – see reason 16). Reading through this list, I hope you’ll make one of your own. I suspect… Continue reading 18 Reasons I love Chicago

Two of our children are learning in Israel at the moment, a daughter at Mesores Rochel seminary and a son at Rav Zvi Kaplan’s yeshiva. Instead of bringing them home for Pesach, we decided to take our other two boys, who are learning in Telz Chicago, to celebrate Pesach in Israel. It was an unforgettable… Continue reading Living in Israel for the month of Nissan

My wife and I recently attended the 2nd Olami International Summit along with 1,000 Jewish students and young professionals from around the world. Olami is  an organization that provides support to a worldwide network of Jewish outreach organizations including JET. The Summit schedule was: Arrival in Madrid Sunday, 3 days of touring Spain and Gibraltar,… Continue reading On Being in Spain and England with 1,000 Jewish students

This is really exciting! My wife and I are on our way to the Olami Summit (www.olamisummit.com). The Summit takes place in Spain and London from December 24 to 31. The Summit begins Sunday morning in Madrid. However, there is no direct flight from Chicago to Madrid that would get us there Sunday morning. So… Continue reading JET at the Olami Summit – pre-game – Day 1&2

If we’d lost the final to Australia in the rugby finals of the Maccabi Games in 1985, I don’t think I would ever have gone back to Israel again. That’s how much winning the gold medal meant to me at the time. In South Africa, rugby was a religion, my religion. Australia was one of… Continue reading We beat the Greeks, so let’s stop competing with each other

My first trip to Israel was as a 21 year old to play rugby for the South African Jewish rugby team in the 1985 Maccabi Games. We stayed in the newly built Kfar Maccabiah.  We won the gold medal and that experience began a spiritual journey that brought me back to Israel again and again… Continue reading The Greek That is Still in Me

  It is an age old custom to learn a chapter of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) every Shabbat afternoon over the summer. Pirkei Avot contains the ethical teachings of about sixty sages who lived in the times of the writing of the Talmud. It contains such famous sayings as the one by Hillel… Continue reading The Five best pieces of Advice I ever got

RUGBY RABBINICS The 20th Maccabiah (Jewish Olympic Games) is currently taking place in Israel. South Africa and the USA battled in the rugby final with the USA narrowly winning a thrilling game.  Thirty-two years this week, I played rugby for the South African Jewish Rugby Team at the 12th Maccabiah. We won the gold medal… Continue reading Rugby Rabbinics I