It took a wave akin to the Great Flood of Noah, but it was the tsunami that landed me at my first Friday night Sabbath celebration. Never mind that as a thoroughly nonobservant Jew, I couldn't follow the Hebrew prayers or songs, or that I had to be prompted to break the challah bread, sip the sweet kosher wine, or keep my borrowed skullcap from slipping off... continue
The sea that devoured Chai's home and killed several of the 3-year-old Thai Muslim boy's relatives lies invitingly placid in the sweltering tropical sun, like a reformed criminal. Hardly a ripple ruffles the water lapping at Phuket's pristine Kamala Beach... continue
Chabad of Thailand responded to the crisis by dispatching a rabbi to Phuket to aid rescue efforts, and turned the three Chabad Houses of Thailand into crisis centers where survivors can call home, have a free meal or receive funds for new clothing and medical help... continue
On
an average day Rabbi Yosef Zaklos might deliver food and water, rebuild
a fishing boat or perform an impromptu bar mitzva – unusual activities
for a rabbinical student. But Zaklos, a relief aid worker in
tsunami-ravaged Thailand, is not your average rabbi... continue
