Author Archive

Portraying the inner workings of a religious community provides for ample camera material. Judgement was an episode on the BBC TV series Silent Witness back in 2008. A team of pathologists investigate a…

A young man wears his shtreimel on a brisk walk with his daughter so that her afternoon nap be a peaceful one.  I look away, I want to be alone. I walk on…

Every time there was a guest speaker, a Rabbi from abroad perhaps, we would hear that sound.  It is strange, that  one sound could instill fear, boredom, joy and dread, depending on context.…

Like a stadium wave, in a domino effect, the congregation rises. A messy instrumental cacophony fills the chapel. The melodious leading notes strangely protrude nonetheless to make their sombre call. “Like as the hart, desireth…

Motel stands at the Milky kitchen sink and Ruchi at the Meaty one. Sleeves rolled up, both scrubbing pots, their lids and other paraphernalia.  Each investing elbow grease to glean a sparkling utensil.  The…

The air vaporises as he exhales, his facial protrudents are fresh and cold, icy cold. The wooden bench slats each neatly arranged just over an inch apart, dig into his cold hands that are…

A jet black peyoh trapped between a pillow and a cheek, its lower twist and curl intact, a white wool night Kappel still firmly on its bearer’s head. The slumber was young and deep.…

Chaim Wassertzog, an overweight, forty year old, had a way with “kids who were off”. Wherever he would meet one, he would talk to them,  provide them with food, he would comfort…

For want of a nail the baby was lost,

For want of the baby the tzaddik was lost,

For want of the tzaddik the generation was lost,

For want of the generation the…

God was good, he was kind, he was angry, he was compassionate and he was vindictive. He was everything fathomable to his human manufacturers who haphazardly forgot one attribute.  They forgot taste.

They did…