Over the years, thanks to some creative, unusual talmidim I was privileged to teach when I was a mesivta Rebbe, I have had an assortment of pets (the animal sort). Each of several Purims, my shiur would give my wife and me, in addition to mishloach manos, a living gift.
In April 2017, The Times of India reported that Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the spiritual global leader of a Shia Muslim sect called the Dawoodi Bohras, reaffirmed the mandate of female genital mutilation (katna) in a sermon carried over a livestream and repeated in a messaging app.
Early February in even years not divisible by 4 is one of my favorite times. First, the AT&T golf tournament is here and, although I'm not a big fan of golf (cue Mark Twain), I get to see gorgeous views from the Goodyear blimp of an area less than 2 miles as the crow flies (and that crow does fly straight) from where I live.
They were known as the "Hello Girls" — American women fluent in French and English who answered the urgent call for telephone operators needed in France during World War I.
