by R. Aryeh Lebowitz In the aftermath of the terrible 2008 massacre in India, many personal accounts of the lives of the victims were disseminated in the media. One particular line in a personal account of the Holtzberg family caught my eye. The writer, Dr. Isaac Bolbin, a friend of the Holtzberg family wrote that “Reb Gavriel used to call ...

by Aryeh Lebowitz Introduction In recent years it has become increasingly popular for minyanim to gather in people’s private homes, rather than exclusively in shuls. The motivations for holding such minyanim include, but are not limited to, a closer walk to davening on Shabbos, the desire for a quicker tefilah, and the need to accommodate people who are physically unable ...

by Aryeh Lebowitz I. The Importance of Kaddish [1]Most of the sources and structure of this essay are based on a chapter in R. Ari Wasserman’s Hegyonei Haparashah. Very often, one who loses a close relative will make an extra effort to honor their deceased loved one. In Judaism, the honor given to the dead is most evident in the ...

by Aryeh Lebowitz The Problem In recent years, it has become customary in our community for guests to bring gifts to their hosts as a sign of gratitude for the hospitality shown to them. There now exists an entire industry to meet the consumer’s demand for such “Shabbos gifts”. Sometimes these gifts are a simple plate of candy, where the ...

In the aftermath of the terrible 2008 massacre in India, many personal accounts of the lives of the victims were disseminated in the media. One particular line in a personal account of the Holtzberg family caught my eye. The writer, Dr. Isaac Bolbin, a friend of the Holtzberg family wrote that “Reb Gavriel used to call it ‘Mombai’ because he ...

Introduction In recent years there has been a significant amount of controversy surrounding the issue of proper safety protocols, particularly issues of infection and maintaining a sterile environment, at a bris milah (circumcision). While most of the attention has been focused on whether a mohel is required, permitted or forbidden from performing “metzitzah b’peh” (oral suction of the wound), significantly ...