Thursday, March 24, 2011
Hashgocho
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Diaries, My Toys, Homework Addendum
Monday, March 14, 2011
Family Pictures
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Having Another Kid?
There recently was a death of a 98 year-old lady named Irena. During WWII, Irena, got permission to work in the Warsaw Ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist. She had an 'ulterior motive' ... She KNEW what the Nazi's plans were for the Jews, (being German.) Irena smuggled infants out in the bottom of the tool box she carried and she carried in the back of her truck a burlap sack, (for larger kids..) She also had a dog in the back that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers of course wanted nothing to do with the dog and the barking covered the kids/infants noises.. During her time of doing this, she managed to smuggle out and save 2500 kids/infants. She was caught, and the Nazi's broke both her legs, arms and beat her severely. Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she smuggled out and kept them in a glass jar, buried under a tree in her back yard.
After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived it and reunited the family. Most had been gassed. Those kids she helped got placed into foster family homes or adopted.Last year Irena was up for the Nobel Peace Prize ... She was not selected. Al Gore won, for a slide show on Global Warming.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Pedophilia in Jewish Institutions
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Ten Lared
Then I needed to use Google Books to download an article from The Atheneum (a nineteenth century British periodical) and was met with the captcha verification: "tenlared," i.e., תן לרד--let it download! See below for a screen shot (click on image to enlarge). How could I even make this up?!
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Monday, February 28, 2011
Firsts
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thoughts on Homework
Friday, February 25, 2011
The Worst Part of Returning from Vacation . . .
Monday, February 14, 2011
Time to Call it Quits?
- He has a very long day; or,
- He is bored because he is more advanced than the other children (because of his backround and home reinforcement ); or,
- The environment is too informal; or,
- A combination of the above.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Wanted: Famous Black Jews
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Wise-A@@ Frumkeit Part 1
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Juvenile Lie Detector (Or Instilling the Fear of God Part I)
Friday, February 4, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
My Advice to Keep the Car from Icing
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
It's Official
Friday, January 28, 2011
Ora Update
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Talmud Torah Shaylah
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Signing Over the Kids
Monday, December 27, 2010
'Tis the Season to be Jolly . . . (Uncut)
(This is what I originally wrote and I'm posting it now to clarify yesterday's abbreviated post.)
I miss David being in a school environment where Hanukkah is celebrated.
I don't miss Hanukkah gifts for the staff.
The truth is I don't think there is anything wrong with presenting teachers and other staff with a token of appreciation, although I'm conflicted over whether a group collection or individual presents are preferable. But I think it's a problem when cash gifts are expected, moreover when large cash gifts are expected. (One friend gave his son's rebbe five hundred dollars!?)
And don't give me that nonsense that there is nothing wrong with a rebbe accepting such a gift if parents give it of their own volition and there is nothing the school can do about this. When I worked in camp we were forbidden to accept any tips from parents and it was understood that violators would be fired. (In my two summers I never heard of anyone taking a tip.) While public school employees where I live are permitted to receive presents, they are limited to gifts worth twenty five dollars or less. And I can tell you that the vast majority of gifts are worth a fraction of that. And just in case the policy isn't clear, at the last PTA meeting the principal reiterated over and over that parents are not expected to give gifts, than any gifts must be less than $25 and that there is really no reason even to give that much (and that a homemade holiday card is perfectly fine).
But yes, I miss David being in a school environment where Hanukkah is celebrated.