Barkai’s early childhood and 2nd grade students got their fingers dirty while learning hands-on about a plant’s life cycle, when horticulture and ecology enthusiast, David Geliebter, visited them to discuss how plants contribute to our lives. The students learned what a plant needs to grow. Then, with trowels in hand, they set out for their outdoor classroom.
It seems like everywhere we look, we’re being told that we should not eat sugar. However, in small amounts sugar is not bad for most people. The natural fructose sugar found in fruits and vegetables and lactose sugar in milk and dairy is part of a healthy diet. The problem lies with processed foods packed with high amounts of sugar (namely sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup). It’s not just the obvious culprits, like soda, candy, and cakes.
In the winter, our skin reacts to the cold air, We sleep with the heat on, and the wind outside blows against our faces. When we’re not outside in the freezing cold, we’re inside, where the air is heated. With the extreme cold and hot, most of us need to add to or alter our skin care regimen.
When you think about fatal illnesses, the flu isn’t the first disease that comes to mind. However, the flu is a serious illness that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes can be deadly. Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others.
If you’re in the mood for a quick nosh or nibble, beware. Research shows that reckless snacking is the cause of most Americans’ excess calorie consumption—and it can very easily add up to weight gain. Similarly, mid-morning snacks can detour a diet because many people snack out of routine, not hunger, and their snacks are often too high-calorie.
As an educator and as a principal, I am often asked, “When does reading begin?” Traditionalists would say reading begins in the first grade, with reading readiness as a precursor in kindergarten. This thinking is based on the assumption that the stronger the level of reading readiness, the more successful the reader. Few would disagree with this assertion.
The second annual gathering of Jewish refugees from Arab countries was held recently at the UN. The event was organized by the Israeli delegation to the UN, headed by Ambassador Ron Prosor, the World Jewish Congress and the World Organization of Jews from Arab Countries (WOJAC). The event featured esteemed panelists, testimonials of Jewish refugees from Arab countries, and the screening of a short film entitled “The Forgotten Refugees.”
According to the holy Zohar, the term Shabbat can be used to refer to an exceptional tzaddik, such as Ribbi Shim’on bar Yohai. Just as the spirit of Shabbat gives life and meaning to the rest of the week, the tzaddik gives life and meaning to his generation. Reflecting on the life and deeds of Maran Hakham Ovadia Yosef, zt”l, we might say that the term fits him aptly—he was the Shabbat of our generation.
The Peruvian Jewish community is small. Out of a general population of about 27,000,000, there are fewer than 3,000 Jews. Almost all of them reside in the capital city of Lima. There are traces of remains of other Jewish communities in other cities, but most of these consist of intermarried descendants and are not counted in the official community calculation. Stories also surface occasionally of Converso communities in remote jungle areas but, once again, as these rumors remain unsubstantiated, members of such groups are not considered part of the contemporary community.
Doctors around the world still hold the writings and manner of care of medieval philosopher-physician Moses Maimonides (Rambam)in high regard. His teachings have left a significant mark on modern medical practice. Famously dubbed the Prince of Physicians, Maimonides’ 10 influential medical texts find their basis in Jewish law and advance a philosophy with significant implications for modern doctors, nurses, and hospitals.
On the second day of Yom Tov Shavuot in 2012, Rabbi Shlomo Braun, Director of the Aleh Foundation passed by the Bikur Cholim Hospital on Rechov Haneviyim in Jerusalem where he had the accidental privilege of meeting and greeting the late Great Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt”l as he was exiting the hospital.
In this Mishna, Rabbi Yehoshua lists three personality flaws which “remove a person from the world.” The implication is not simply that G-d will punish such a person, but that such behavior itself will actively “remove” him from the world. One who possesses these evil traits will make himself miserable, unable to enjoy the blessings he has been granted.
Parashat ToldotFew Biblical struggles, few familial conflicts—in a book filled with stories of intra-family struggles—are as tragic as the confrontation between Jacob and Esau. The twin grandsons of Abraham and Sarah were, from their birth onwards, locked in a constant struggle over inheriting leadership over the family, and of course, inheriting the riches of the land which G-d had first promised to Abraham.
Molly is the street name for a drug that is pushed as the pure powder form of MDMA, the main chemical in Ecstasy. In the last five years, Molly has made its way into popular culture. The drug’s dangers became more apparent after a rash of overdoses and four deaths this past summer, including two at a music festival in NYC.
