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February 17, 2005

Pesach, Matzah, Maror and Massage

Thanks to an increasing number of spas offering Passover packages, a Pesach getaway doesn\’t necessarily have to lead to weight gain. There is no shortage of luxury resorts where you can nourish your spirituality, pamper your psyche and get a workout. In fact, several highly rated wellness centers are hosting seders this year for the first time, including the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Spiritually Found Among the Surf

Standing on a surfboard for the first time, it felt as if time stood still. I can recall the palm trees on the shore, the dusty blue of the island\’s silhouette in the distance to my left, and my teacher afloat on his board to my right. That first, miraculous ride seemed to last forever. In one unforgettable moment, every stray thought inside me was quieted, pushed aside. All I knew was a sense of harmony between myself, the board and the wave. The water must have been slapping on the sand and the birds must have been chirping, but I heard absolutely nothing. A complete and total silence enveloped me and carried me closer and closer to shore, until the board stopped and I fell. The moment was gone.

Privatized El Al to Add Saturday Flight

When 50 Israelis who survived the devastating Dec. 26 tsunami were stranded in Sri Lanka, El Al made good on its commitment to organize and operate rescue missions.

\”When there is a problem, Israelis will go out of their way to help other Israelis,\” said Nira Dror, the Israeli airline\’s vice president and general manager of North and Central American operations.

But Will It Last?

The dust is still settling after last week\’s summit at the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheik, but early signs on the ground are highly contradictory.

Last week, just 48 hours after the summit, Palestinian terrorist groups fired more than 50 mortar shells at Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip — yet now Hamas, the largest and most important of the terrorist groups, says it\’s committed to the cease-fire announced at the summit.

Torture, Genocide and Jewish Silence

Jews around the world have worked hard to give life to the slogan \”never again,\” but there are painfully abundant signs the world isn\’t listening. And, worse, a number of our own organizations have been reluctant to speak out on some of the moral rationalizations that contribute to the genocidal mindset.

Unilateral Withdrawal

I, along with what the polls say is 60 percent of Israelis — and maybe even Ariel Sharon, too — trust Mahmoud Abbas\’ good intentions. More than that, I\’m impressed by what he\’s done on the ground — by prevailing on Hamas and the other terrorist groups to \”cool down\” the violence a week after he took office, and reading them the riot act after their rockets started flying again a day after the hopeful Sharm el-Sheik summit.

Schools Work Hard to Make the Grade

The Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School West team labored close to two years on their assignment. They administered surveys, compiled data and poured through reams of material. This homework, however, was completed not by students, but by staff and faculty. And the project was not so much required as extra credit.

Ner Tamid Opens Link to Jewish Past

At Congregation Ner Tamid, most members can trace their ancestors back to Eastern Europe and the late 1800s. Few are aware that 1654 was one of the most significant years in Jewish history — the year that 23 Jews fled the Portuguese Inquisition when they boarded the St. Charles bound for North America.

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Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.