I stumbled on the idea for this article while talking to a shadchan about a young man. The first question the shadchan asked me was, “Is he modern?” I was taken aback, because although I had described this young man in some detail, I had never thought to give him a label. Was he modern? Did modern mean a certain hashkafa and approach to Judaism? Or did it mean lackadaisical observance? I really did not know how to answer the shadchan, which is what brought me to explore the whole topic.

Neither rain, nor snow, nor gloom of night could keep the crowds away from Shomrei Emunah Sunday night. A large, diverse crowd came out to hear famed Russian refusenik R’ Yosef Mendelovich talk about his experiences fighting for Soviet Jews behind the iron curtain as part of his tour which included speeches at Beis Yaakov and Torah Academy as well.

Nu, you may ask, what type of title is “Maid for a Day”? A good question. There once was a television program called “Queen for a Day.” (Does anyone remember?) It made a tsimmis (big deal) of one lucky lady from the TV audience who was chosen to be queen and receive her special wish – anything from a special bed for a handicapped child to a housekeeper to replace her while she recovered from surgery. She got many other prizes, too. The audience ah-ed and oo-ed as the gifts were presented, making all the vibelach (wives) jealous. When she received a free trip to the Bahamas, the olam went wild with envy.

Burglary is always a serious issue, but if it does happen, we all hope we are not at home at the time. In a recent rash of burglaries in our area, some of the break-ins occurred in the middle of the night while the homeowners were asleep! Pretty terrifying!

As with many problems, the main pain stems from the recognition that perhaps it could have been prevented. Let’s see what can be done to protect ourselves and minimize any damage. In this article, I will first discuss thwarting a burglar who gets in. Next, I will suggest ways to keep him

On September 29, 1969, Wayne Young was in a bad mood.

He had just bought a boat, and his mother felt that it was a waste of money. They were part owners of a tropical fish store, and they didn’t have money to spend on such luxuries. They argued, and he felt very misunderstood.

So when Esther Leibowitz, an 11 year old girl on her way home from Beis Yaakov, came into his store, he took back control the only way he knew how. Her body was discovered in a ditch in Mount Washington, about a half mile from the store. Her clothing was disheveled, and she was covered in what at first appeared to be dirt, but detectives were able to link it to a very fine gravel used in fish aquariums. Her head had been bashed in with 17 blows from a hammer.

See Beyond the Mask is an annual Purim event, which this year was held in the Atrium at Greenspring Shopping Center. Organized by Elaine Gerstenfeld under the umbrella of the Zooz organization, the event is intended to bring together Jews from all different walks of life for a few hours of fun and chesed.

An enormous banner hanging over the entrance to the shopping center invited any passing Jews come inside and join in seeing beyond the masks that divide us the rest of the year into different categories and celebrate the unity of the Jewish people. Inside, the Atrium had been taken over by a crowd of unmasked partygoers, wearing colorful costumes of all shapes and sizes.