Montana is known for its known for its striking natural wonders, historical sites depicting the travels of Lewis and Clark and quaint glimpses into a version of America that is well-loved but quickly fading. Although there was a significant Jewish population in the past, particularly in the 19th century when Jewish pioneers flocked to the region, in recent decades, many of Montana’s Jews are leaving for larger cities and more vibrant Jewish populations. It is no wonder then, that the sight of a rabbi dressed in chassidic garb caught the attention of non-Jewish officer John Fosket who was guarding the … Continue reading →

I often wonder if people in other times of history really felt that things were so bad as they are in our era. The stock market plunge is still making its effects felt in all areas of the economy and the rise of stocks seems to belie all of the job losses and closed stores in the malls. The threat of terrorism is constant and is spread throughout the world. Not a week goes by that I don’t hear of a synagogue or a Jewish center vandalised. The shooting at the Holocaust Memorial last week was as chilling as it … Continue reading →

My husband often meets some first-time or first-in-a long time shul goers in Israel and in his trips to America. Often these men have something in common, they are saying Kaddish (the prayer for the deceased) for a loved one. Kaddish is a prayer said three times a day with a congregation to appeal to Hashem to have mercy on the soul of the deceased. It is said for an entire year, and it is quite an impressive undertaking; one must go to a synagogue with at least ten men in attendance three times a day to say the prayer. … Continue reading →

Okay, so I know Loving Leah was a made-for-television movie that was screened last night (I don’t have a television, but I try to keep up with certain news), but what are “chalitza’ and “Yibum”? Now, my apologies because I am not 100% informed about the plot of the movie. As I said, I prefer not to have a television (although we do have internet, otherwise I would not be able to blog) and even if I did have television, I am living in Israel and “Loving Leah” was not aired here. However, a friend gave me a plot summary, … Continue reading →

Dear Susie, First of all, I’d like to invite you to my home when you come to Jerusalem (not planning a trip to Jerusalem? Well, we all will find ourselves here eventually). I must warn you, my apartment is small and needs renovation. My wig may need some restyling (taking my wig to a stylist is a luxury I can afford before holidays and sometimes in between). I may not be dressed in the latest fashions. But don’t think this is true of all Lubavitch Jewish women. You would have seen a very similar person if you would have met … Continue reading →

Like many of you, I have discovered the joys of Flylady, the site devoted us to learning to love our homes and beautify our surroundings one baby-step at a time. The site, I think, was designed for the domestically challenged, like me. I started the program, had a colicky baby (thank G-d a sweet one, though) and found it difficult to follow any kind of structure for a few good months. Now, I am back baby-stepping my way through cooking and cleaning routines. One thing flylady recommends is to plan meals in advance. Well, I did do this in a … Continue reading →

After the agonizing weeks of the war in Gaza, a ceasefire has been declared. There is an expression here that whenever there is a ceasefire, it means the Israelis cease and the enemies fire, which is exactly what happened; less than 24 hours after the so-called ceasefire was declared, Hamas fired on Ashkelon. Thank G-d, no one was injured. Israel is not exactly the most popular country in the world right now. But most of the world does agree that terrorism is intolerable. On the one hand, the world wept over the tragedy of Mumbai, London and 9-11, but on … Continue reading →

We are at war again. I remember being pregnant in 2006 with my second son during the second Lebanon War and thinking about all of the Israeli pregnant women who were sitting in shelters as bombs exploded around them. Now I am thinking of the people who are afraid to walk outside with their children because they will not be able to run back into the shelter as soon as the siren blares; there are only 15 seconds between the time a siren is sounded and the time it takes for the Palestinian Kassam rockets to hit their targets. Rabbis, … Continue reading →

Those who followed the news story about the Mumbai attacks which destroyed scores of lives may recall an unforgettable image of an Indian woman with a two year old boy in her arms. The boy was Moshe Holtzberg, the son of Chabad emissaries Rivka and Gabi Holtzberg who were brutally murdered in the terrorist attack. At first, it was falsely reported that the terrorist released the child and her nanny. This news gave me false hope for the release of the others as I was following the story. The tragic truth is that the terrorists turned out to be as … Continue reading →

Dear readers, I wanted to write before about this, but I could not concentrate. My heart is broken, there are no words, it is hard for me to formulate my thoughts. I hate the way this sounds like a cliché, but I felt like I lost sisters and brothers, literally. I felt like sitting Shiva (the seven day mourning period observed by families of the deceased). Finally, I am able to write something and I have to. The Mumbai attacks have sent the world reeling. What did the Holtzbergs do? Did they stockpile weapons against their enemies? Did they teach … Continue reading →