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Bubble Boy Ethics, Corona, and Children
Making Bubble Boy David was born in 1974 – to parents who knew that after his siblings died, he too would have no effective immune system. Doctors told the parents that future scientific advances would save him. He became “bubble boy.” The stress and differences of opinion between the parents actually caused their divorce. In comparison with the rest of the story, that... more»My Kids Will Go to School
Last week’s Jewish Link included very strongly worded commentaries by Jeffrey Rubin (“Regarding School Closing This Fall,” July 23, 2020) and Rabbi Wallace Greene (“The Ethics of Opening Schools,” July 23, 2020) arguing that no child should go back to school in the fall. While one can understand the sentiment that no risk to human life should be taken whatsoever, I don’t think my... more»Forgotten Children of the Pandemic
Guest Post by Heather Feigin, LCSW. Populations all over the world have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all well aware of the toll that it has taken on essential workers, the newly unemployed, teachers and families. The population that has been suffering in silence, however, are our children. As a parent of six children ages 6 to 16, and a therapist serving Passaic and... more»Movie Review: 1952 – Singing in the Rain
I am hardly the feminist by modern standards – my daughter and I startede watching old movies through the decades. We went with Singing in the Rain because it’s the best rated musical movie of all time – 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 8.3/10 on IMDB – wow. What was wrong with you 1952? The movie has even less of a plot than the Greatest Showman – it’s all about... more»Movie Review: 1946 – A Wonderful Life
I finally watched another classic an frequently referenced movies, my daughter and I are up to the 1940s. First, why is it that so many movies of this era have some sort of cop chase scene where they shoot wildly into the air, often towards public streets full of people? It’s like how I grew up playing ‘cops and robbers’. Somehow, in an era without gun violence, movies sure... more»Movie Review: 1941 – Citizen Kane
Continuing the old movie ‘research’ with my daughter, we just completed Citizen Kane – it’s a movie about Donald Trump only more accurate to real life where having affairs and feeding the media with false information derails a campaign for president. References to this movie abound in places I don’t even remember – excepting for the theme song to... more»Kosher Travel
Jerusalem Old City Panoramas and Other Photographs
Jerusalem Photographs Deviating from my usual posting style, this post is mostly about the pictures... more»Teaneck, NJ Kosher Restaurants
Kosher Restaurants in Teaneck, New Jersey You can find kosher restaurants in most cities with... more»Kosher Vacation Hotel – Dominican Republic – Puerto Plata – Part I
The below article is from 2015. See the 2019 update here. Introduction A very large resort with... more»Hunter, NY – Kosher Bed and Breakfast, Catskills, Mountain
You might also be interested in the hiking trails at North/South Lake, not far from here, and the... more»Jerusalem Great Synagogues
This is part of a series of articles on kosher travel in Israel. For the map with all places... more»Bradley Beach, NJ – Kosher Vacation
Guest Post by Susan Rosenbluth of The Jewish Voice and Opinion, Englewood,... more»Boston Vacation – Where to Visit
This is a continuation of Boston Vacation – Basics. This post covers places to visit. The... more»Walking Across the George Washington Bridge & Washington Heights Kosher
Walk Into New York City for Free Want to pay no toll and no bus or train fare into New York City?... more»Dead Sea and Masada Hiking
This is part of a series of articles on kosher travel in Israel. For the map with all places... more»Philadelphia, PA – Kosher Vacation
Introduction to Philadelphia Philadelphia has quite a few places to visit with the family. My... more»Kosher Hotels – Raleigh in the Catskills
Also see our article on the vibrant Jewish Catskills today and while you’re at it, check out... more»Catskills, New York: Jewish Travel
Catskills Jewish History (The short, short version) Growing up a secular Jew in the 1980s and 90s,... more»Eastern Long Island, Mystic, CT – Beaches and Car Ferr
A Vacation Based on Curiosity Did you ever wonder what’s at the very eastern tip of Long... more»Kosher Hotels – Monsey, NY – Ora v’Simcha
Fancy Kosher Hotel Ora in Monsey, NY The most popular article on this blog is about the now kosher... more»Ventnor, NJ – Kosher Frum Family Vacation
Guest Article by Susan L. Rosenbluth, The Jewish Voice and Opinion, Englewood,... more»Rosh HaNikra Grottoes and Nahariya
Some Intro to the Northwest Corner of Israel This trip takes you to the northern most... more»Jersey Shore – The Beach in Deal
The Difficulty With Beaches as an Observant Jew Back in the day (maybe 100 years ago), people used... more»Dominican Republic Kosher Restaurant & Hotel in Puerto Plata – Part II
The below article is from 2015. See the 2019 update here. In this article, more details about a... more»New Jersey: Sussex County
Sussex County, New Jersey is a mostly rural area in the extreme Northwest of the state, having some... more»Washington, D.C. Kosher Vacation
This article is connected to our other article about the Rockville, Maryland Kosher Vacation. Why... more»House Rental or Hotel?
Hotels Have a Problem – Internet House Rentals A few years ago, there was only one answer to... more»Israel: Nahal HaKibbutzim Water Hike in Beit Shean
This was easily one of my favorite days on my last trip to Israel. We were based out of... more»Rockville, Maryland – Kosher Vacation near D.C. and Baltimore
Why Rockville, MD? Rockville, Maryland has a small Jewish community with regular minyanim, kosher... more»Tannersville (and Hunter) NY Kosher Jewish Vacation
Introduction to Jewish Tannersville and Hunter, NY I wrote about the Hunter Kosher Bed and... more»After the Holocaust – Why Didn’t Jews Just Return to Europe? . . . and Yad V’Shem
A question in the back of my mind At Yad V’Shem, Israel’s primary holocaust museum in... more»Miami Kosher Vacation (North Miami Beach)
Introduction Miami – a city full of New Yorkers who hate winter. Well, that’s not... more»Newport, Rhode Island – Kosher Vacation
Background Newport, Rhode Island is a beautiful city, dating back to before the colonies. It was... more»Yeshiva Week Break – Kosher Hotel – Rocking Horse Ranch
One of the perks of being frum is that your kids are on a different schedule than the rest of the... more»Camping – North/South Lake, Catskills & Spruce Run, New Jersey
Why Camping? Travelling is too expensive? Not worth the hassle of finding kosher food? These is... more»Philadelphia Zoo
— guest contributor — When my wife I and trade Memorial Day plans with our friends,... more»Orlando, Fl / Disney Kosher Vacation – Update
The description of my Orlando vacation from five years prior is over here. This is an update in... more»Disney World Kosher Vacation, Orlando, FL
In addition to this article, please see my newer article from my second vacation to Orlando in... more»Shabbat.com – Find a Place for Shabbos
What is Shabbos (Shabbat)? Torah observant Jews spend 1/7 of their lives disconnected from active... more»Kosher Vacation in Dominican Republic – Revisited
Introduction In 2015 we went to Peurto Plata, Dominican Republic where there is a full time... more»New Hampshire: Loon Mountain; Zipline in Western MA
THE INFORMATION ON THIS ARTICLE IS NOW LARGELY OUT OF DATE – THE MINYAN HAS MOVED TO A NEW... more»Lancaster, PA Kosher Vacation (Hershey, Dutch Wonderland, etc.)
Introduction Lancaster, Pennsylvania as well as Harrisburg make for great vacation for younger... more»Boston Vacation – Basics
Here’s a map of a lot of places to visit in Boston, which makes a great vacation stop.... more»Israel Kosher Vacation for American Tourists
Introduction For our latest trip, we took an epic vacation to Eretz Yisroel (Israel). Unlike... more»Room Escape Games – In “Real” Life
What’s a Live Room Escape Game? Looking for a kosher, fun, adult activity? The ‘room... more»Business (Patents)
Always Listen to Your Rebbe
The role of the Rebbe This is one of those anecdotal stories which intersects between Judaism and... more»Why You Should Run Your Own Business
My First Business – Selling Gum and Candy on the Bus Inc. Magazine spurred me to write an... more»Looking Religious At Work
What is Now Acceptable Rav Samson Roephel Hirsch wrote in the 1800s in Germany that, if necessary,... more»How to Become Rich – It’s Easy . . . and why are there poor people, anyway?
It is often hard to get caught up in the physicality that surrounds us. People tend to think that... more»Popular Science 1872, 1936 – Nothing New Under the Sun!
Google Books has a plethora of old photographs, books, and magazines available for free viewing.... more»Law School (and Law Profession) Little Instruction Book
The following is a highly opinionated synopsis about law school and entering the legal profession.... more»Life at 40: Musings on Turning 40
To celebrate my 40th birthday, I went down a belt buckle and joined a gym for the first time... more»Mark Cuban Draws Me a Cat
In a diversion from building my patent portfolio and usual articles about Supreme Court... more»Parental Controls – My “Hashkafa” and What Works for Our Family
Introduction I grew up in the age of BBSes … bulletin board systems. Back in my day, it... more»Book Reviews
Garden of Emuna – Book Review – R’Shalom Arush
This book is interesting. 79% of readers on Amazon give it 5 stars out of 5. ... more»After the Holocaust – Why Didn’t Jews Just Return to Europe? . . . and Yad V’Shem
A question in the back of my mind At Yad V’Shem, Israel’s primary holocaust museum in... more»Medical Issues According to Jewish Law – Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein, Book Review
Medical Issues in Jewish Law Dr. Fred Rosner, former Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai School... more»Movie Review: 1936 – Modern Times, Charley Chaplain
Having read some history about Charlie Chaplain though only seeing a Charlie Chaplain movie for... more»Out of the Depths; Rav Israel Meir Lau – Book Review
Suffering to Greatness Now Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau (former Chief Rabbi of Israel) epitomizes one of... more»Movie Review: 1925 – Phantom of the Opera
Today’s old movie review – Phantom of the Opera, 1925. It’s a silent horror... more»Satmar Rebbe Biography
There are two English-language biographies of the Satmar Rebbe. I tried them both, and the clear... more»Movie Review: 1952 – Singing in the Rain
I am hardly the feminist by modern standards – my daughter and I startede watching old... more»Movie Review: 1939 – Gone with the Wind
It’s been a while between my last old movie review and my latest – Gone with the Wind,... more»Chief Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of New York – Stepping Stone to Torah Democracy
I picked up my latest book in a very different manner than normal. Rabbi Yonah Landau walked up... more»Movie Review: 1946 – A Wonderful Life
I finally watched another classic an frequently referenced movies, my daughter and I are up to the... more»Israel’s Armed Forces – Shield of David by Yigal Allon
I came across “Shield of David” during the course of family tree research. Part of my... more»Iyov (Job): Why is the world the way it is? – Complete Outline
The outline is below, but it’s easier to read if you pop it out into full screen view –... more»Movie Review: 1941 – Citizen Kane
Continuing the old movie ‘research’ with my daughter, we just completed Citizen Kane... more»Lawrence of Arabia & Israel
How I came to This Book Sometimes I find books by putzing around on Amazon . . . my latest comes... more»‘Kosher Patents’ Book Review
When the name of your blog is Patently Jewish and someone sends you a book... more»Mountain Family by Tzirel Berger & When Christians Convert to Judaism
I realize I have a diverse reading audience – this article is really intended for a Jewish... more»Unchosen: Hidden Lives of Hasidic Rebels – From the Re-chosen
Maybe one day I will get to reading books as they come out – while I was about 60 years too... more»Thinking About Creation – Torah + Modern Physics
Book Review: Thinking About Creation – Eternal Torah and Modern Physics; by Dr. Andrew... more»When I considered the Existence of a Creator – Part II: Salesmen
This post is a continuation of Considering the Existence of a Creator: Part I – Gerbils. Who... more»Jewish Divorce Book: Healing From the Break
Healing from the Break by Abigail Rosenberg (not her real name) is recommended reading for anyone... more»Albert Einstein Biography – Who was he and how Jewish was he?
Who is Einstein? I just finished Walter Isaacson’s biography of Albert Einstein. I sought... more»Book Review: The Great Partnership, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks; Part I – Philosophy
Relationships are Meaning One summer day in my childhood I returned from swimming with my... more»Movie Review: 1916 – Intolerance
Classic movie reviews for today – my daughter and I, during all this home time, have started... more»Why Aren’t There 100,000 Jews in the Dominican Republic?
My interest in Jews of the Dominican Republic piqued (or peaked, or maybe peeked) after my visit to... more»Meiselman – Torah Chazal Science Book Review
The Summary “Torah from Sinai is not only truth, but tells us the whole of truth. Modern... more»Hitler, The Missing Years – Ernest Hanfstaengl – Book Review
The Holocaust in Context The Jewish calendar, a microcosm of Judaism itself, has a complete cycle... more»Jewish Belief
When I considered the Existence of a Creator – Part II: Salesmen
This post is a continuation of Considering the Existence of a Creator: Part I – Gerbils. Who... more»Shavuous Learning, Keeping Customs & Love of Mitzvos
My Shavuous Experiences Shavuous is one of the three regalim, three pilgrimage festivals, along... more»Six Days of Creation – Broad Philosophical Answer
This is a continuation in the series on Rav Meiselman’s book on Torah and Science and the... more»Why I Choose to Be an Orthodox Jew – What to Live For [Part 1/3]
In article 1 (below) I discuss living for meaning and how that brings one to go towards an infinite... more»Why Don’t Bad Things Happen to Bad People?
Introduction Really, the title should be “Why don’t Bad Things Always Happen to Bad... more»Women in Judaism, Part I: Woman = Man (so I was taught)
“Feminist beginnings”, or “Orthodox Judaism’s Oppression” I grew up... more»Six Days of Creation – A Modern Reconciliation with Science
This is the last in a thread of posts which began with a review of R’Meiselman’s book... more»Where Did Earth’s Water Come From? Talmud & Science
The Question: Earth’s Water Came From Where? MinuteEarth / MinutePhysics are great YouTube... more»Agunah – Why Require a Man to Give a Get for a Jewish Divorce?
Okay, short answer: Because our Maker said so. Shorter answer: I don’t know. We can... more»Belief – Jewish Basics – Know What to Answer Yourself CD Series
The following audio lectures are available from Ani Maamin, run by Rabbi Dovid Sapirman. These... more»Mountain Family by Tzirel Berger & When Christians Convert to Judaism
I realize I have a diverse reading audience – this article is really intended for a Jewish... more»Mikveh, Relationships, and Using Man’s Desires to Serve the Creator
Articles that begin with discussions about mikveh’s (ritual baths) are usually written from a... more»Women of the Wall: Part II – Jews for Kant
Historian View of Judaism as Fossil In the past, I wrote about why Torah observant Jews give no... more»Meaning of Words – My Conversation with an Athiest Scoffer
Character Traits of the Arguing Athiest Recently, I stumbled upon a message group filed with mostly... more»Free Will to Believe in G_d
The Question To Atheists Atheists fascinate me. In my most secular days, I was an agnostic because... more»Women in Judaism, Part II: Woman ≠ Man (so I learned)
This post is a continuation of “Women in Judaism, PART I: Woman = Man (so I was... more»Peace in Israel – Quick Thoughts
A few days before writing of this article, the United Nations renewed and strengthened it’s... more»Why I Choose to Be an Orthodox Jew – The Alternatives [Part 2/3]
In a first post, I wrote I chose to be an Orthodox Jew, focusing mainly on belief in a Creator.... more»Unbroken Chain – Direct Link from Sinai through Genealogy
The Claim of the Unbroken Chain One of the claims to the authenticity of the Torah is that there is... more»Women of the Wall – “But I want”
As readers have pointed out various nitpicks with the article, italics and crossouts represent... more»Religion & The Paradox of Choice – What is Holy (Kadosh)? – Part I
The Paradox of Choice To be “holy,” in the langauge of the Torah is... more»Introduction & Why This Blog
Intro Rav Zev Leff came to speak in my town, and during a portion of his talk, I was daydreaming... more»Siyum HaShas: Media Covers 90,000 Jews at Giant’s Stadium
(Click on the Pictures for Larger Images) What is a “Siyum HaShas” (Completion of... more»Considering the Existence of a Creator – Part I: Gerbils
Introduction Many people today have everything they need, but yet, are depressed because . . .... more»Rationalist Friend Brings Depth to the “Folly of Reason”
Introduction In the article, Folly of Faith, Folly of Reason, one of the things I argued based on... more»Why I Choose to Be an Orthodox Jew – Positive and It Fits [Part 3/3]
In part 1 I discussed living for meaning and how that brings one to go towards an infinite purpose... more»Slifkin v. Meiselman – Making Sense of the Controversy
This is part 2 in a series on Rav Meiselman’s latest book. For the full book review, see... more»Iyov (Job): Why is the world the way it is? – Complete Outline
The outline is below, but it’s easier to read if you pop it out into full screen view –... more»Unchosen: Hidden Lives of Hasidic Rebels – From the Re-chosen
Maybe one day I will get to reading books as they come out – while I was about 60 years too... more»Free Will to Believe in G_d – Atheists Revenge
After asking to a group of atheists, “Assuming with live in a world with free will, what... more»Hamas Supporter Conversations with this Jew
In issues of political contention, I often have hard times making decisions. There’s... more»Children? Marriage? Why? A Positive Recitation
Why We Should Marry and Why Marriage is Only for Man and Woman Together What’s the purpose of... more»Shabbat.com – Find a Place for Shabbos
What is Shabbos (Shabbat)? Torah observant Jews spend 1/7 of their lives disconnected from active... more»Discomfort: Jewish Holidays in a Nutshell
Judaism is about discomfort. What do I mean by that? I mean we want to avoid it’s opposite... more»How to Become Rich – It’s Easy . . . and why are there poor people, anyway?
It is often hard to get caught up in the physicality that surrounds us. People tend to think that... more»Folly of Faith, Folly of Reason – Isaac Asimov & Judaism
In this article, I attempt to make a few points: a) Point of view on topics beyond the dimensions... more»Approach of Torah Jews to the Modern State of Israel & Army Service
Synopsis I write this article after a gathering of 300,000 – 600,000 Jews in one place to... more»Trophy Wives: Men Never Change – Flood to PR China, It’s All the Same
New Rich Matchmaking in China The New York Times provides more fodder for discussion in... more»Unbroken Chain Slides – Passover Seder & Jewish Claim to Truth
Jewish Timeline I wrote an earlier article showing the unbroken chain from the Exodus in Egypt... more»Parental Controls – My “Hashkafa” and What Works for Our Family
Introduction I grew up in the age of BBSes … bulletin board systems. Back in my day, it... more»Book Review: The Great Partnership, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks; Part I – Philosophy
Relationships are Meaning One summer day in my childhood I returned from swimming with my... more»Seeing the Physical World or Seeing Past the Physical
Rabbi Elozar Ben Pedas’s Complaint and Reward Rabbi Elozar ben Pedas was extremely poor. On... more»Insular vs. Involved in Secular Society
Looking From the Outside, In From the outside world, Orthodox Jews tend to look sort of . . .... more»Torah Thoughts
Who will Die? Forced Ethical Dilemmas in Jewish Law
Forced Ethical Dilemma (Updated Trolley Car Problem) Imagine this scenario: You buy a self driving... more»How to Become Rich – It’s Easy . . . and why are there poor people, anyway?
It is often hard to get caught up in the physicality that surrounds us. People tend to think that... more»Why did Purim and the Holocaust end so differently?
The following is adapted largely based on the words of Rabbi Moshe Grylak in Mishpacha magazine,... more»Reading Torah in Context & Problematic Verses
Introduction Every now and then, an email or meme mocks words from the Torah, preying on the... more»When I considered the Existence of a Creator – Part II: Salesmen
This post is a continuation of Considering the Existence of a Creator: Part I – Gerbils. Who... more»Compassion for the Sinner – A Personal Story
Typically I post when I feel I have an answer. On a high level, I’ve written about things... more»Why Aren’t There 100,000 Jews in the Dominican Republic?
My interest in Jews of the Dominican Republic piqued (or peaked, or maybe peeked) after my visit to... more»Charity and the Business of Giving Tzedekah
Introduction to Tzedekah The Torah commands us to give Tzedekah. It’s translated as... more»Dvar Torah for My Son on His Bar MItzvah
The following is adapted from the speech I gave at my son’s Bar Mitzvah. G_d relates to Moshe... more»Always Listen to Your Rebbe
The role of the Rebbe This is one of those anecdotal stories which intersects between Judaism and... more»What are we, that the Creator Should Care About Us?
Guest Post, by Boruch Katina of Passaic, NJ When contemplating the size of the universe and how... more»Men in Marraige and Child Raising – A video explanation
Intro Okay, so this blog already includes articles on mikveh and men and woman in relationships,... more»Why Do Christians ‘Pick and Choose’ From the Bible? Homosexuality bad, shellfish good?
The Attack on Christians & A Defense The news as of late about the United States granting legal... more»Mastering a Discipline; Orthodox Surge – New York Times Article
The New York Times has an extremely positive article about Torah observant Jews, starting off with... more»Les Miserables, Lord of the Rings … and Torah?
Les Miserables Last year, the Maccabeats, best known for the most popular mainstream Chanukah... more»Science
Life at 40: Musings on Turning 40
To celebrate my 40th birthday, I went down a belt buckle and joined a gym for the first time... more»Folly of Faith, Folly of Reason – Isaac Asimov & Judaism
In this article, I attempt to make a few points: a) Point of view on topics beyond the dimensions... more»Six Days of Creation – Broad Philosophical Answer
This is a continuation in the series on Rav Meiselman’s book on Torah and Science and the... more»What are we, that the Creator Should Care About Us?
Guest Post, by Boruch Katina of Passaic, NJ When contemplating the size of the universe and how... more»Meiselman – Torah Chazal Science Book Review
The Summary “Torah from Sinai is not only truth, but tells us the whole of truth. Modern... more»Les Miserables, Lord of the Rings … and Torah?
Les Miserables Last year, the Maccabeats, best known for the most popular mainstream Chanukah... more»Bubble Boy Ethics, Corona, and Children
Making Bubble Boy David was born in 1974 – to parents who knew that after his siblings... more»Rationalist Friend Brings Depth to the “Folly of Reason”
Introduction In the article, Folly of Faith, Folly of Reason, one of the things I argued based on... more»Free Will to Believe in G_d – Atheists Revenge
After asking to a group of atheists, “Assuming with live in a world with free will, what... more»Free Will to Believe in G_d
The Question To Atheists Atheists fascinate me. In my most secular days, I was an agnostic because... more»Six Days of Creation – A Modern Reconciliation with Science
This is the last in a thread of posts which began with a review of R’Meiselman’s book... more»Iyov (Job): Why is the world the way it is? – Complete Outline
The outline is below, but it’s easier to read if you pop it out into full screen view –... more»Moore’s Law and Creation of Life
Moore’s Law Alexei Sharov at the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore and his mate... more»Thinking About Creation – Torah + Modern Physics
Book Review: Thinking About Creation – Eternal Torah and Modern Physics; by Dr. Andrew... more»When I considered the Existence of a Creator – Part II: Salesmen
This post is a continuation of Considering the Existence of a Creator: Part I – Gerbils. Who... more»Considering the Existence of a Creator – Part I: Gerbils
Introduction Many people today have everything they need, but yet, are depressed because . . .... more»Slifkin v. Meiselman – Making Sense of the Controversy
This is part 2 in a series on Rav Meiselman’s latest book. For the full book review, see... more»Imagining the 10th Dimension
Imagining the 10th Dimension as a Tool to Approach Infinity Imagining the 10th Dimension is... more»Popular Science 1872, 1936 – Nothing New Under the Sun!
Google Books has a plethora of old photographs, books, and magazines available for free viewing.... more»Where Did Earth’s Water Come From? Talmud & Science
The Question: Earth’s Water Came From Where? MinuteEarth / MinutePhysics are great YouTube... more»