What is Jewish About Men’s Health?by Robert E. Braitman, M.D. I am honored to edit this third edition of L’Chaim, a publication of the Health and Wellness committee of FJMC. As an organization of and for Jewish men we can learn from our tradition about maintaining physical and emotional health. In this issue of L’Chaim, …
On the Art of Friendshipby Jacob Sheff, D.O., F.A.A.P. Co-chair of FJMC Health and Wellness Committee In medicine, we review the risks and benefits of a treatment before we decide on it. We also consider the alternatives and the consequences of doing nothing. I believe we can apply the same practice to Judaism when the …
Antisemitism in Canadaby Stan GreenspanFJMC International Past President, 2017-19 Last night, I returned from a World Zionist Organization conference in Budapest, Hungary, followed by a trip to Berlin, Germany. In Budapest, I visited my first mass grave and Nazi execution site. The mass grave, containing 2,281 bodies, is located in the courtyard of the Dohany …
Rabbi Noam Raucher, MA.Ed – Executive Director, FJMC International On Friday nights, my sons and I sometimes go to the farmers market in Monrovia. It is not the most traditional way to welcome Shabbat, but it has its own liturgy: dinner from the food stalls, the hum of families wandering beneath strings of lights, and my …
Ahavat Yisrael By Jonathan D. Epstein Ahavat Yisrael is a synagogue of 65 families and 280 men, women and children in Itonko, a small farming village in Namutumba District of eastern Uganda, about 68 kilometers southwest of Mbale. The members used to walk a long distance to a synagogue in another community to pray, but …
Building brotherhood through sports By Dr. Steven Mandel Long before the United Nations recognized sports as a powerful instrument for peace, many of us experienced its impact firsthand. Growing up on the Lower East Side of New York, in the 1950s and ‘60s, I lived in a close-knit Jewish neighborhood. Most families including mine …
A Joyful Israeli Soundtrack for an August Reset By Jason Hecht August arrives with its own kind of glow. The days are long, the heat is steady and everything feels dipped in sunshine. It’s the month of road trips, cold drinks and that moment when you finally look at your car and think, “Okay… …
Bruichladdich Scotch By Al Davis A spirit-loving friend shared a recent acquisition, which I admit to first refusing. Call me names, but I am not a fan of the Bruichladdich family of Scotches. However, after some minor arm-twisting, I consented to a taste, and was thoroughly blown away. The treat was a 16-year-old potable …
Overcoming the constraints of a 250-year-old ideal By Rabbi Noam Raucher As the United States marks 250 years since its founding, it is worth asking what kind of man this country has spent two and a half centuries trying to produce. The answer is not simple. American manhood has never been one thing. It …
Looking forward… to convention By Bruce Tomar The Book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ address to the people. He reflects on all that they have gone through. In last month’s HaD’var, I also started to reflect on the mission and vision of FJMC, our committees, our publications and our retreats. Now, and in future articles, …
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