Already the death toll has reached 1,200 in Israel. A doctor in Gaza said: “The smell of death is all around.”

With a haunting melody that includes descending notes, Prelude in E Minor is one of the most iconic of all time. Expressive and moving, Chopin actually requested that it be played at his funeral.

This ancient story of Purim is all plot-twists and ironic turnarounds, but G-d isn’t mentioned at all. It’s as if He left the fate of His people to the roll of the dice—or did He?

Trees are powerful symbols of life, even eternal life. In fact, it's considered a mitzvah (a good deed) to plant trees in Israel to commemorate loved ones who have died. To do so on Tu BiShvat is especially fitting.

The three-week period between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av is referred to as Bein Hametzarim, which means “between the straits" in Hebrew. The phrase is taken from the Book of Lamentations: “…all her (Jerusalem's) persecutors overtook her between the straits.” (Eichah 1:3)