Holy and Secular – Don’t expect the following interview to ever really appear in print. This imaginary talk is a combination of many discussions that I have had with a wide variety of dozens of teachers. It is not meant to reflect the opinion of the educational system or the official position of any formal

Holy and Secular – “Tamar Goldstein,” the loud voice of the history teacher thundered in the classroom, “perhaps you can tell me why you did not do your homework. We have spoken about this over and over again. Why don’t you prepare your homework? Why is this so complicated for you? Please explain it to

Holy and Secular – NOTE: Several weeks ago, my “boss” in the Shabbat b’Shabbato bulletin, Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, wrote about the laws of Shemitta. He stated that Shemitta not only doesn’t improve the lot of poor people but that it in fact causes them harm. Rabbi Rozen gave a well reasoned analysis explaining that Shemitta

Holy and Secular – “Don’t worry, justice will triumph,” Mr. Levy whispered to his wife when the judge sat down. “Please be quite,” the court clerk scolded him. The judge took his place and began to read: “Case Number 55679/2, Levy Family versus the Rosenkranz and Gildenbruch Construction Company.” The judge called out to Mr.

Holy and Secular – The day will come when “The Book of Sderot” will be written. Many good people will appear in the book. It will tell about inhabitants of Sdeirot who survived long and terrible years when the Kassam rockets fell. It will tell about Hesder yeshiva students who came from far away to

Holy and Secular – “You wanted to hear how the country came to an end,” the grandfather said to his grandson. “It is a very sad story, but it is important for these things to be repeated and heard.” * * * * * * Much blood was spilled before the country was established. At

Holy and Secular – Just as I was leaving my car, the announcer began a curious monologue. It was a little before eight o’clock in the morning, and my radio was set to Reshet Gimmel, a station which proudly declares that it broadcasts only Israeli music. “I have my doubts whether I should share this

Holy and Secular – Chaim Tzipori was a battalion commander during the Six Day War. In the book “To Belong” which was published in his memory, Nachum Barnea (today a well known journalist who writes in Yediot Acharonot) tells a remarkable story. * * * * * * At the end of the war we

Holy and Secular – The trip was not short. Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Karlitz, better known as the Chazon Ish, was not used to traveling out of the city. It was even rare for him to travel to Jerusalem, the holy city and the site of the Temple. But he refused to give up on this

Holy and Secular – “Did you see how studious Yankel is?” one of the students of the yeshiva said to another. “He never goes to sleep before three o’clock in the morning, and then he gets up only two hours later to pray with the earliest minyan. He is in the Beit Midrash almost twenty