Now that the election in the U.S. is over, we’re gearing up for our own poll – and as usual, security weighs heavily for local voters. Israelis feel that we’re at the epicenter of world terror – that nowhere else in the world is as dangerous, except for Iraq, Africa, and a few other places you wouldn’t want to live anyway. There’s always something to worry about here, the conventional wisdom says. But on one day recently, Israel looked a lot safer than many other places, when seen through …

It’s just a bit after Tisha B’av, and as always at this time of year, our collective mind is filled with thoughts of the past – and how that past got us to the present we find ourselves in. Unfortunately, whether it’s because of Holocaust, Inquisition, Cossack rioting, or one of the other myriad tortures imposed on the Jewish people, our present is often about change – of residence, legacy, family history, and even surname.
In many instances, those changes have been so severe as to break the fragile …

If you’re traveling this summer – you have my sympathies! Ticket prices are way up, thanks to record high fuel costs. And what do you get for your money? A nasty attitude from the flight staff. You’re paying more than ever, but customer satisfaction is at near record lows!
But when you gotta go, you gotta go. No doubt, after paying for your plane fare, you’ll be financially wiped out. Don’t rent a car – instead, use these ideas to cut down on the cost of getting around while you’re “over …

On the one hand, your kid’s report card wasn’t on, shall we say, the up and up. Lots of room for improvement. But of course, the little geniuses have their reasons for the subpar performance, especially in math and science: The teachers, the kids, the principal’s so mean, a kid stole my pen on the day of the test, the dog ate my homework…except you don’t have a dog! Oh, they can be smart when they want – like when they’re working with the family computer. No problems …