Way back in 1965, I was a student at Yeshiva Kerem B’Yavne and was in Yerushalayim for Simchas Torah. Since they only keep one day in Israel, they had what was called “hakafot shniyot,” hakafos on the second day of Yom Tov – with a band and with people who traveled from all over. I remember that the place was very crowded, and the speaker, whoever he was, said over the microphone, “Next year we will have more room because we will celebrate in front of the Kotel Hama’aravi.” I remember thinking that this was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard – except that he was right. Two years later, in 1967, the Jews did dance in front of the Western Wall!

My Father’s Favorite President

If Only We Had Him Now

Growing up in Montgomery, Alabama, I did not hear too many stories of great rabbis from my father, Meyer Oberstein, z”l. He had settled in Montgomery in 1921 and was out of the loop as far as the renaissance of Torah learning in America was concerned. However, my father still retained the sharp, logical mind of a Litvak. Instead of the gemora, he analyzed the newspaper. When I was a little boy, he used to explain things to me in great detail, since my mother wasn’t interested, and his customers in the

While researching Morris Siegel’s interesting life, I asked Rabbi Moshe Heinemann about his recollections. Rabbi Heinemann summed it up best: “He did everything le’shaim Shamayim (for the sake of Heaven).” Of course, when someone does everything le’shaim Shamayim, his or her life and work endure well into the future. Indeed, Baltimore today, and frum Baltimore in particular, is reaping the benefits of the vineyard of Yiddishkeit that Morris Siegel planted years ago

Yosef Moshe “Morris” Halevi Siegel was a trustworthy Baltimore businessman, eloquent orator, and outstanding father. He was an extremely modest individual who possessed many wonderful middos. He acquired

We left Rabbi Oberstein last month as a talmid in Ner Israel, where he was awed by the greatness of the Rosh Hayeshiva and rebbeim.

The first time I ever heard of the concept of a gadol was from my friend Meir Fialkoff at Yeshiva University High School, in my first year there. Meir had a picture of Rav Aharon Kotler in his wallet. I had never heard of Rav Aharon and couldn’t fathom a boy keeping a rabbi’s picture in his wallet. If you had asked me back then who the greatest rabbi in America was, I would have answered

This morning, as I was learning Chumash with Rashi in the bais medrash of Ner Israel, the passage we were studying and the ambiance in the room brought back pleasant memories. Several years ago, Isaac Kinek, a frequent contributor to the Where What When, asked me to learn with him any subject of my choosing. I immediately responded that I would love to learn Chumash and Rashi, without any pressure to finish, and to be able to delve into Rashi’s beautiful words, which have inspired generations of students. Since I first learned a little modern Hebrew in Yeshiva University High

One who enters the vibrant kehila Shearith Israel, the Glen Avenue Shul, today and sees the panoply of shiurim and activities, the level of Torah learning, and the meticulous observance of the growing membership owes it to him or herself to know that the its mere existence is a rarity; it is an Orthodox Shul founded before the Civil War that is still Orthodox! It wasn’t easy, and it didn’t happen without a lot of Divine help. Let us now continue the journey:
The Era of Rabbi Mendel Feldman
In 1958, Rabbi Schwab accepted a rabbinical post in New York’s