Author: David Rutman

With the month of Kislev underway, we turn our attention to Hanukkah, our holiday of light and heroism. December, 1948. The State of Israel is seven months old, recovering from the War of Independence that claimed 6,500 lives. The heroes who defended Israel – the men and women of the newly established Israel Defense Forces […]

In Israel a discussion is being held about … well, one must be careful with words. Let’s try to state this with utmost caution: There is a discussion about ways to somehow reduce the number of Palestinians in Gaza without using violence. And again, we must tread carefully. A year ago, Minister Avi Dichter said, […]

It’s 1:30 am and I’m sitting in Leah’s room. I just gave juice and Greg is preparing a new cartridge of diluted insulin and redoing the pump settings. At 12:40 am we were startled awake by the familiar – but always nerve-wracking – beeps of continuous glucose monitor alarms. As familiar as they are, my […]

Rabbi Chaim Mentz of Chabad of Bel Air traveled to Israel twice after Oct. 7 to show support. On one of his trips, he donated 5,400 NIS (approximately $1,450 U.S. dollars) to 36 young widows. He also visited Beit Halochem hospital, where he witnessed hundreds of wounded soldiers, many in their 20s and facing life-altering […]

So many issues dealing with “rights” get muddled up by bullies who throw out insults rather than arguments. You would think, for example, that the trans rights movement is about trans rights, right? Actually, the movement is more about whether or not we have the right to debate it. Take the recent case of assistant […]

This current election cycle has staunchly reinforced the reality that the world is in deep need of repair. No matter who one voted for, exit polls from across party lines clearly indicate a need for a seismic shift in both domestic and global policy. There are macro issues, such as unaffordable healthcare, a nation-wide housing […]