Mark D. Zimmerman

By Mark D. Zimmerman Lag B’Omer was celebrated earlier this month in Jewish communities around the world. Many synagogues hosted picnics and bonfires to mark the joyous holiday that falls on the 33rd day of the otherwise mournful 49-day Omer period between Passover and Shavuot. What took place at the Lag B’Omer celebration at Beis […]

By Mark D. Zimmerman The ‍Florida ‍Department ‍of ‍Education ‍announced ‍that ‍they ‍had ‍rejected ‍more ‍than ‍30 ‍social ‍studies ‍textbooks ‍and ‍worked ‍with ‍publishers ‍to ‍make ‍changes ‍to ‍more ‍than ‍45 ‍other ‍textbooks. ‍The ‍announcement ‍is ‍in ‍line ‍with ‍efforts ‍by ‍Governor ‍Ron ‍DeSantis ‍and ‍the ‍Florida ‍legislature ‍and ‍Department ‍of ‍Education ‍to ‍ensure ‍that

By Mark D. Zimmerman The ‍Texas ‍Senate ‍recently ‍passed ‍a ‍bill ‍along ‍party ‍lines ‍with ‍the ‍17 ‍Republicans ‍voting ‍in ‍favor ‍and ‍the ‍12 ‍Democrats ‍opposed, ‍which ‍will ‍require ‍public ‍schools ‍to ‍allow ‍students ‍and ‍employees ‍time ‍every ‍day ‍to ‍pray ‍and ‍to ‍read ‍the ‍Bible. ‍The ‍Senate ‍also ‍passed ‍a ‍bill ‍along ‍party ‍lines

By Mark D. Zimmerman Al Jaffee died last week at the age of 102. Jaffee was one of “The Usual Gang of Idiots” who wrote and produced Mad Magazine under the leadership of editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines. Mad Magazine’s humor had a very Jewish slant, including regular use of Yiddish and faux-Yiddish

By Mark D. Zimmerman There is an annual convention in April at the Javits Center in New York which always falls around the Passover holiday. In 2013, a Jewish participant came up with the idea of holding a seder for the Jewish attendees at the convention. He chose New York’s Katz’s Deli as the site

By Mark D. Zimmerman Jews worldwide are preparing for Passover, with the first seder taking place this coming Wednesday. Traditionally, Jews do a thorough cleaning of their houses, removing all chametz, or forbidden foods, particularly leavened bread. Dishes are changed, shelves are lined, and kosher-for-Passover products replace the year-round foods in the kitchen. Sadly, however,

By Mark D. Zimmerman A recent study at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Academic College confirmed that Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men have a higher rate of what medical problem than the general population? A. Spinal problems including herniated discs and sciatica, as a result of shuckling, the rapid front to back swaying that Haredi men perform while praying, to

By Mark D. Zimmerman Israeli actor Chaim Topol died last week at the age of 87. The actor, who professionally used only his last name because too frequently people would mispronounce his first name, Chaim, as “shame,” is most famous for playing the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Topol starred as Tevye

By Mark D. Zimmerman Purim will be celebrated this week, with costumes, hamantaschen, Megillah reading, and Purim shpiels. Purim has occasionally made an appearance in popular culture, including the 1960 movie Esther and the King starring Joan Collins as Esther and The Bible Collection: Esther, a 1999 made-for-TV movie starring F. Murray Abraham as Mordecai.

By Mark D. Zimmerman Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, a Haredi authority in Israel on legal and ethical practice, died in March 2022 at the age of 94 in Bnei Brak. Among his rabbinic rulings was that it was forbidden to own a smartphone without first receving permission from a halahkic authority, and that the owner could

By Mark D. Zimmerman The Carter Center issued a statement that following recent hospital stays by President Jimmy Carter, the 98-year-old former president “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.” Among President Carter’s greatest accomplishments was the 1978 Camp David Accords, agreements

By Mark D. Zimmerman  The United States recently shot down a Chinese spy balloon which had sailed across the American continent. Since that time, there have been reports of previous Chinese spy balloons. And the United States military has now shot down three additional unidentified objects, over Alaska, Canada’s Yukon Territory, and Michigan. Of course,

By Mark D. Zimmerman Bob Born, former president of Just Born, the candy company founded by his Russian Jewish immigrant father Sam Born, died last week at the age of 98. The Just Born company makes Peeps, the marshmallow treat which is a popular Easter candy. Under Sam’s stewardship, the company had developed chocolate sprinkles

By Mark D. Zimmerman Attempts at censorship continue to be contentious, as those with opposing views try to shut down debate or sharing of controversial or offensive comments and materials, or even ideas which simply are in disagreement with others’ beliefs. For example, a Hamline University professor was recently fired for showing images of Muhammad