By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
What is a columnist to do when there are far too many distressing things to write about to do any of them justice? That includes the call for the executions of members of Congress who rightly reminded American soldiers that they are not to obey illegal orders. (Anyo…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Years ago, a friend challenged her Facebook friends to post something daily for which they were grateful during the month of November. It was an interesting exercise and mine ranged from the personal to societal, including such things as modern medicine, electricity…
By Susan Walker
The Jewish Community Center has been a safe harbor for our family since my husband Mark and I moved to Vestal just over 40 years ago. ( I know, how did that happen.) Within the Center’s walls, we have formed lasting friendships and an unbreakable bond to this community.
Af…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
I fell for it, which is not the first time something like this has happened. It was hard to ignore because of the numerous news reports on the web: President Donald Trump was telling our military to prepare for war with Nigeria. My first reaction was, “Why would w…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
A column about beards? That might strike people as an odd topic. No, I’m not going to write about my personal preferences for different types of beards (although I do have them). But what I normally think of as a personal choice for men has become a political issu…
