Sixty years ago, Milton Friedman suggested eliminating the public-school system as it exists, and giving parents a taxpayer-funded voucher for every child to use toward tuition at any school of his/her choice. His vision hasnt come to pass, but around 1990 school choice for parents and children appeared in various places in the United States.

The school-choice proposals were never envisioned as tuition relief for parents who already send their children to private and religious schools, but as a means to allow children to escape from failing public schools. Opponents of allowing children to escape from failing schools suggest that we improve all the public schools, but they never say how to do it. Various methods have been tried for nearly 40 years, and the public schools still provide the same unsatisfactory results. Our children cant wait another 40 years.

Purim is the festival which commemorates the breathtaking Jewish victory over the murderous designs of Haman. It is a story of great courage and self-sacrifice, first and foremost by Queen Esther and Mordechai, and ultimately by the whole Jewish nation. This joyous festival reveals the hidden hand of G-d in the event of man.

Haman, who descended from the Jew-hating tribe of Amalek, devised a scheme to solve the Jewish problem once and for all by annihilating every Jew.

Modechai, a descendant of King Saul and advisor to King Achashverosh, sensed the danger. He called for his niece, Queen Esther, and told her that she must go to the king and plead for her people. Haman was defeated and the Jewish people were saved. They celebrated the holiday of Purim

The Magen David Synagogue, the oldest of the three Sassoon Synagogues in Greater Bombay, recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. The synagogue was built by philanthropist David Sassoon in 1861, to serve the Jewish community in the Byculla district of Bombay (now Mumbai).

At the end of a movie, the credits flow down the screen. We see names upon names of people who contributed to creating a smooth, flawless film. This is the image that comes to mind when one looks behind the scenes at the Sarah Sutton AH, Sephardic Bikur Holim Food Pantry, for the list of volunteers is astounding! From the 250 women who cook fresh meals to fill the pantrys freezers, to the kids who bring cans of food in to school, this is an organization that hums along successfully with the help of a village.

One of the jewels of the pantry is its freezer section. Open one of the huge steel doors and you will see many clear-covered containers filled with rice or roast or ziti or vegetable souffles, as well as other home-cooked meals. Each container is labeled clearly, stating what food is inside and when it was made. There are also brightly colored stickers indicating whether the food inside is meat, dairy or pareve.

As part of the Project SAFE curriculum, the students in the upper division in Magen David Yeshivah have focused on learning the proper skills to conquer and eliminate bullying. Through lessons in the classroom, and with special programming, the students have learned the effects of bullying and the skills to stop and stand up to bullies.

Unfortunately, bullying occurs in every school. The essence of all of our dreams and efforts, is to develop not only the minds, but the hearts and souls of our students, as well. The We program and the supplemental anti-bullying programs are to ensure that our children reflect the finest of Torah values and practice real life middot (values)that change the world, said MDY Principal Rabbi Dr. Baruch Hilsenrath.

Since the beginning of time, music has been an important form of expression, a language from the heart. Music can express joy, hope, anger or pain. It comes straight from the heart, without anything holding it back. It is a special language that can be heard and felt.

We, at the SCC Encore School, have witnessed firsthand, how the common passion of music has broken the ice in communicating and meeting new people. Individually, music promotes a sense of achievement. It teaches self discipline, concentration, creativity, self confidence, promotes imagination, coordination, tactical skills and the ability to analyze and calculate information. Medical studies prove studying music improves a persons ability in math and long and short term memory retention. It also teaches fortitude. Weve seen the quality of family life changed and enriched by the study of music.

Afamily tree can reunite branches of your family separated my migration and document the fate of deceased relatives, said Sarina Roff, a descendant of the Missry and Salem families. As families grow, the children dont understand the relationships that their parents and grandparents had. A family tree puts all the information together.

When I got married, my husband David Roff and I went to see Rabbi Jacob Kassin AH, just as every couple getting married did in those years, she said. Rabbi Kassin took out his ketubot logbook and showed us the entry he had for both our parents, whose wedding ceremonies he had performed. In this act, he was checking our lineage. In later years, when I had occasion to see the logbooks, I noticed that when a person married into the community, he had a letter from the community rabbi asserting the person was Jewish, attached to that page. Thats how important tracing your lineage is.

Hanukah is a glorious time every year at the Yeshivah of Flatbushs Joel Braverman High School and elementary school. Supplementing the Hanukah-based learning that pervades class discussions, special holiday programs abound, including an extraordinary performing arts program in the high school and other special hagigot (parties) and art projects for all grades.

The week of Hanukah culminated at the high school with a spectacular musical, a Hebrew rendition of Little Shop of Horrors (Hanut ktana umatrifa). The excitement began with the high school choir, led by Mr. Brian Gelfand, and the high school orchestra, led by Mr. Joel Hessel, performing original arrangements of Hanukah melodies and gracing the audience with the instrumental and vocal talents of more than 50 students. The chamber choir, also directed by Mr. Gelfand, performed an intricate and festive rendition of a well-known pop song that was rewritten and arranged in honor of Hanukah by 11th grade student, Victoria Twito.

I am usually surprised when my son says hes bored, especially when its right after we went to the library, bowling and to the plaster gallery. When did I sign up to be the head of the entertainment committee?

Seriously? I cant fit anymore activities into our schedule. I still need to take Celia to the dentist; Morris needs shoes for Shabbat and I promised my friend Raquel Id help with the school bake sale.

I feel so guilty when hes just sitting on the couch with his video games, eyes glued to the screen.

Over the years, Barkai Yeshivah has established itself as a school with a learning environment that simply bursts with excitement, creativity, warmth and happiness. Recently, the Barkai PTA packed all this energy into the annual Literacy Day event. Opening its doors to the community, the PTA transformed nearly every classroom into an action-packed learning zone. Children were encouraged to read, write and explore the possibilities of storytelling and narrative, across all fields of study.