Jeremy M Staiman, at The Blogs

Dec 22, 2024, 3:03 AM

When two families both need to say Kaddish on the same day, what happened at Mincha took everyone by surprise. My father taught us that you never tell someone you’re going to tell them a joke. It raises people’s expectations...

Dec 19, 2024, 5:14 PM

Part 3: The Missing Ushpizin: Will There be an Xmas Miracle?

by “Kugel Man” In last week’s installment, we talked about the rebound we had during Chol Hamoed, following a disappointing start to Sukkos. If you missed Parts 1 and 2, scroll down and catch up—they’re required reading! We pick up...

Dec 17, 2024, 4:00 PM

Part 2: The Missing Ushpizin, and Chol Hamoed

Last week, we recounted how we worked hard to prepare a Sukkah party for our Israeli friends from the kiosks in the mall, and how we were left high and dry. We were crushed. If you missed Part 1,...

Dec 5, 2024, 2:06 PM

Part 1: The Missing Ushpizin

Candles are lit, table's set. But will the guests arrive? Stories traditionally have a beginning, a middle and an end. Stories about people, on the other hand, don’t always have an end — at least not one that’s yet been...

Nov 28, 2024, 8:04 AM

Three Simple, Very Horrible Words.

Almost two hundred years before Telegram was an app where you could send furtive messages or order sketchy things without getting caught, the telegram was an instrument of communication. One could use the services of a telegraph to send...

Nov 21, 2024, 1:23 PM

Funny, You Don’t Look Like a Rabbi!

What was the rabbi doing in combat, and how did his friends answer the call? I was walking down the street this morning in my son’s community when suddenly, I saw a head pop out from a staircase. There he...

Oct 31, 2024, 7:01 PM

The Candy Man Can

When bad things happen, sometimes you only need three words Who can take the sunrise Sprinkle it with dew Cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two? The candy man The candy man can because he mixes it with love And makes the world...

Oct 29, 2024, 3:24 PM

A memory from the start of the war. A reality that, for many, still holds true.

My house is a wreck. There are dirty dishes from breakfast in the sink. And on the counter. And food left out all over the place. Someone didn’t flush the toilet. There are toys on the floor wherever I look. Markers and...

Oct 21, 2024, 3:30 PM

Featured Post

Who wants 10 sweaty, smelly soldiers?

Those serving on the northern border risk their lives so local residents can return home – but they still need a place to sleep

Sep 30, 2024, 9:28 PM

It wasn’t his fault….

Chana with Scooby on Day 1, getting ready to give him a desperately-needed bath.

Kindnesses Big and Small It wasn’t his fault. He was adopted shortly after birth by a family with good intentions. But good intentions don’t always translate into positive results. He was a handful. He was too much for them from the start,...

About Me

Jeremy Staiman and his wife Chana made Aliya from Baltimore, MD in 2010 to Ramat Beit Shemesh. A graphic designer by trade, Jeremy is a music lover, and produces music on a regular basis -- one album every 40 years. He likes to spend time with his kids and grandkids slightly more often than that.