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May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting
May 13, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation

David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church

Emily Alpert: Recession dragged down birth rates for less-educated women
Morgan Housel: The deep downside of home ownership

Peter Teffer: Will Dutch police soon be stalking cybercriminals on your computer?

Heidi McIndoo, M.S., R.D.: Meatless 'meat' can have its own set of problems

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate! This must-try appetizer is delicate yet has depth of flavor: Corn-Leek Cakes with Caviar, Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche

May 10, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be

Caroline B. Glick: The dirty little secret about Israel's Arabs

Mona Charen: Hawking's Moral Calculus: The man and the movement he embraces
Morgan Housel: The biggest retirement myth ever told

Sandi Doughton: Eyes may provide new insight into brain problems

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : The Great Gatsby's Jewish Ties; Jews in the "Time 100 list" List; People's Most Beautiful Women

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: A sweet-hot meal: Pear salsa spices up salmon

May 8, 2013

Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas

Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate

Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
Amanda Paulson: Study reveals sad truths about community colleges

Harvard Health Letters: Evidence weak that zinc, echinacea are beneficial

The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility

May 6, 2013

Edmund Sanders and Patrick J. McDonnell: Think Israel's objective in Syria is to weaken Assad or embolden the rebels? Think again

Brian Bennett: Israeli airstrikes may show weakness in Syrian defense

Michael Ollove: Millions of ex-felons, parolees and those on probation are about to be entitled to tax-payer paid health coverage
Karen Kaplan: Most men can skip PSA test for prostate cancer, urologists say

Kimberly Lankford: How to track down a lost life insurance policy

Dream of Mars exploration achievable, experts say

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan M. Selasky: EGGPLANT WRAPS are an easy, sumptuous and scrumptious meal

May 3, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Human Courage and the Unavoidable, Disturbing Text

Steven Emerson: Attorney General Fights CAIR in Court, Lauds it in Public

Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study
Harvard Health Letters: When to be screened for a hearing problem

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Iron Man's Jewish Connections; Marc Maron's New TV Show; Martin Landau Grows Up with Israel; Shalom, Allan Arbus

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: A sweet surprise for Mother's Day dessert

May 1, 2013

Jonathan Rosenblum: An Improbable Journey to Orthodoxy

Jonathan Tobin: Blame Obama, Not Israel for Syria Push

Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Halena M. Gazelka, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: What you need to know about implanted pain relief devices

Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine

Jessica Shugart: When it comes to math, MRIs may be better than IQs

The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The celebrated chef on how high-maintenance ASPARAGUS RISOTTO need not be

April 29, 2013

Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust

Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?

Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Morgan Housel: He's rich, smart and old: Listen to him

Thomas Salinas, D.D.S.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: The safety of amalgam fillings

Harvard Health Letters: Tomatoes and stroke protection

Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Swing into spring with lemon cream pie

April 26, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The world is a mirror

Caroline B. Glick: Time to confront Obama

Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Kimberly Lankford: New strategies ease pain of paying for long-term care insurance

Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Too much ibuprofen?

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Major Leaguers, 2013; New Movies and Comedy Show; Shalom, 'Lumpy' (Leave it to Beaver)

The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : A bright and cheerful salad to herald the warmer months ahead

April 24, 2013

Steven Emerson: Boston Bomber Exposes Islamist Secret

Morgan Housel Admit it: No one has any idea what's going on
Harvard Health Letters: Can you get headaches from headache medication?

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to easily get more Omega-3s in your diet

Melissa Healy: Pot in a pill: All the pain relief without the smoke

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan Russo: Chipotle Chili Butternut Squash Soup is bold, zesty, hot

April 22, 2013

Ken Dilanian: Counterterrorism's future is unclear

US man departing country arrested on terror charges
Barbara Williams: An unorthodox but growing treatment in a 9-year-old's battle against cancer

P.J. Skerrett, M.D.: How to recognize a good whole grain product

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Teen actor Jonah Bobo in New Flick: Hunky James Wolk on Mad Men; Erich Segal's Daughter Writes Prize-Winning Jewish Novel


Jewish World Review July 18, 2003 / 18 Tamuz, 5763

Sermon On The Light Rail

By Phil Jacobs

http://www.jewishworldreview.com | BALTIMORE Sometimes to get a lesson on spirituality, all you have to do is listen, and you'll find that "message" we're all looking for. Or, sometimes it will find you.


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Monday, for example. I had finished a late lunch with my daughter. She dropped me off at about 2 at the light rail stop. There aren't many people on the train at this time, because it's not rush hour. It's a hot, sunny day, and the train's air conditioning feels good. There are four other people in the train car.


I sat down, kippah and all, and started reading my Jewish Observer magazine. It's a back issue, so I'm reading about counting the Omer and the religious festival of Shavuos. By the time I settle into the article, I hear a very loud voice.


A lady, several rows behind me, was talking about G-d. The lady she was talking to was talking about G-d back to her. It was loud, it was full of purpose and full of passion. There was no pretending you didn't hear what they were talking about.


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Now, I've been on the light rail many times. I've heard people holding personal conversations on their cell phones with just a little too much information than the rest of us need to hear. I've watched parents verbally discipline their kids. And I even watched as a grandfather did nothing while his two young grandsons stood in the middle of the aisle enjoying the tumble they took when the train braked. I ended up warning the kids that they could get hurt.


Be that as it may, the two women in the corner of the train were talking G-d. It was a ferocious conversation. Here are some of their words:


"A person's mood during the day is determined by the mood he has when he leaves his house. If he's in a good mood, he'll have a great day. If he's in a bad mood, forget about his day."


And that was just for starters. "We can't be judging everyone. That's G-d's job. He puts us on this Earth with love, and all that He wants in return is to behave and help one another. We're in His image."


Before more discussions came from the women, a man seated about four rows in front of me turned around, stretched out his arm and pointed his finger at them while shaking his head in affirmation at the ladies. There was only one other person on the train, who bolted out of the door when we reached Woodberry, looking at me with an expression that said, "You're on your own, kid."


There are now four of us in this car. And the man now yells to the women, "People think of all kinds of ways not to go hear the word in church. They'll blame their grandchild for something so they won't go." The women shouted back: "Amen." The man shouts back, "Amen."


This is happening on a light rail train. I bury my head deeper in my magazine, but I'm not reading a word. The woman with the loudest voice is wearing what looks like a Wal-Mart smock. She's now giving a sermon about Adam and Eve and the serpent. She talked about evil, she talked about darkness.


The man in front of me said, "How can a man say he is a giver when he keeps his fist clenched so tightly. You've got to give back to the people from your riches. That's what G-d taught."


I was caught in a crossfire of amens and G-d-talk. When we reached Mount Royal, the man in front of me got off. He said to the ladies, "Thank you. You started this. Now let's live it." One of the women thanked him back, calling him "my brother."


At my stop I had to pass the ladies to exit. I wanted to say something. But I didn't know what it was. I heard the words coming from my mouth, "Thank you, I agreed with just about everything you said. You made my day."


One of the ladies answered, "G-d bless you. Thank you. Live a wonderful day." The other woman said, "See you again."


I wonder if they'll be on the train when I go home.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

JWR contributor Phil Jacobs is the editor of the Baltimore Jewish Times. Comment by clicking here.

© 2003, Baltimore Jewish Times