Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

Sometimes it seems that I spend more time on the road traveling than I do here in Los Angeles. In fact, it doesn't surprise me to realize that I now know the inside of American Airlines' jetliners as well as I do the layout of my own home. Meetings in New York, family simchas and commitments (with six siblings and many cousins these can quickly add up), conferences, speaking obligations, and even the occasional vacation - the number of times I come and go from LAX adds up quite quickly. Read more...

We are shocked and outraged at this morning's horrific acts of terrorism. We at the Ziegler School pray that God protect those yet unaccounted for, the families of the victims whose lives will be impacted beyond repair, and all the people of our nation whose understanding of the world has forever changed. We pray for the murdered, and for surviving victims of terror. Read more...

We are justly proud of the ability of our economy to provide so much comfort and so many fundamentals to our own people and to those around the world. The power of American enterprise, with its abundance and its energy, is remarkable by any standard. What used to be affordable only by nobility and the wealthy is now within reach of the average American. Owning a car is no longer a symbol of opulence, and just about everybody has a television set in their own home. Read more...

What's for dinner? What's the best restaurant? Going from store to store to find the right ingredient... How is it that when we travel and when we are home, food is a central component of our conversation, of our thinking, of our planning, of our action? For better or worse, for us as Jews, food is certainly central to our consciousness (for better or worse). How is it, that something that can be so mundane captured the imagination and spirit of our people? Preparing our ancestors for entry into the land of Israel, Moses says to the Israelites: Read more...

Parashat Nitzavim opens emphatically with a moving description of the ceremony establishing the Israelites sacred covenant with God. While each one of us may personally accept our covenantal relationship with God at different times throughout our lives, the overarching bond, the quintessential relationship, is one that demands we stand amongst all members of our communities. Read more...