Emotions Inspired by a 100-year-old Nazi

We are determined never again to be in a position that we have to wait for the delayed justice of an embarrassed nation. Never again will our people be imprisoned through the cold winters of Germany and Poland, treated as outcasts in Yemen and Iraq, starved and beaten in the cities of Austria, the Netherlands, France and Hungary and Belgium. Israel is the answer.

Seeing beyond the Colors of Har Meron

Sadly, the blame game for what happened late Thursday evening at Har Meron began almost as early as the first reports hit the news and long before what we pray was the final death toll. Today, days later, it continues. Perhaps mentioning some facts will help. Maybe, an important concept …

Not Knowing an Alef from a Beis

  One of my serious passions in life is genealogy. I’ve been very interested in family history for most of my 50 plus years and working on my family history and genealogy for well over two decades. Since the advent of the worldwide web, genealogists, like myself have found treasures …

A Tale Of Two Pictures

Two pictures of a group of Jews, many who were smiling with joy and pride. Jews who were young and old, males and females, frozen in a moment of time. When I see this, it’s hard not to get emotional. It’s hard not to feel dread and hope at the same time. It’s hard not to feel joy and anger. In one picture I see the past disappear in a dark abyss of hopelessness and deep despair and in the other I see a joyous future so full of unlimited hope and incredible brightness.

Upon the Death of My Father

The feelings one has upon the death of a father is not something that can be encapsulated in a single blog post. My dad, Rabbi Benjamin Shandalov (A”h), passed away on early Shabbat morning, November 23, 2019 (25 MarCheshvan 5780) in a quiet hospice room in Chicago. The purpose of …

An Interview with Rav Zev Shandalov

Following is an interview I held yesterday with Rav Zev Shandalov of Maale Adumim. I decided to interview him due to the fact that he has some things he wished to share with his “audience” and asked me, Zev Shandalov, to interview him. (We have known each other all of …

Of Jew Hatred and Revisionist History

I have a lot of patience in life and am very tolerant of others, but not of hatred. While I may completely disagree with someone, he or she has the right, in my opinion, to say what they want. However, there are obvious exceptions to that idea, including hate speech …

Time to Speak Out

Indeed it is time to speak out. While I regularly post on Facebook, I have not written a blog post in (literally) months. It is not for lack of desire. The problem has been that with so much going on, there was too much (is too much) to write about, …

Israel on the Moon #IsraelOnTheMoon

Last week, Israel joined yet another tiny family. Only three other nations have landed on the moon. Israel is filled with jokes right now. Some reflect pride, others reflect a sense of irony and what is often termed “black humor.” Will we be accused of a new occupation? Will the …