History of Etrog (Citrus medica)

The only varieties accepted as a ritual etrog are Yanover, Balady, Moroccan, Yemen, Braverman, Kivelevitz.

Citron is the oldest known variety of citrus. Seeds of citron were found in excavations of the town of Nippur in the southern part of Babylon (present-day Iraq). These ruins date back to 4000 B.C. It is not known whether Mesopotamians cultivated citron at that time or imported the fruit from the east, but the seed-finds prove that citron was known to them at least 6000 years ago. Citron and its varieties.

Jerusalem 92 years ago...

Parent Support Is More Than Just A Check

Here is a link to me recent blog post.
http://childrenawarenesshope.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/parent-support-is-more-than-just-a-check/

L'Shana Tovah Tikatevu v'Tekhatemu!

Dear Parents, Teachers and Staff!

Shana Tova ! !שנה טובה

May this year be filled with happiness, robust health, intellectual and spiritual attainments coupled with success in all your endeavors, and peace in your homes and hearts!

Our Alum - Rabbi Shlomo (Miles) Brody and His Blog

Shlomo (Miles) Brody is Beren Academy '96 graduate. His parents have been the driving force behind the school, then called Hebrew Academy, since its inception. They have contributed time, money, and energy to the school. I remember how I first saw Dr. Baruch Brody, who was carrying a huge log on his shoulders into the building. It must have been needed on the children's playground. Back then he reminded me of Lenin on the Subbotnik, but later I would want to compare him to a giant in the story of Rabbi Nachman, “The Lost Princess.”

His son Shlomo went on to Harvard to study Jewish history, philosophy, and literature. After graduation, he received Semicha from the Israeli Chief Rabbinate. He teaches at the Yeshivat HaKotel and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University, focusing on the philosophy of halacha.

He is an online editor of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), Tradition - a Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought, including its acclaimed blog, Text & Texture, the Ask the Rabbi columnist for The Jerusalem Post.

His latest post on the prayer of Aleinu and the Pardes Story requires more of my study. He is by far the most prolific writer on the RCA blog, and his 45 posts cover the widest areas of modern Jewish life and philosophy today, aptly summarizing the gist of controversies, and leaving the reader curious for more, while allowing everybody to draw their own conclusions.

Pomegranates: The Healthy, Spiritual High Holiday Fruit

...."Turquoise, purple and scarlet" wool pomegranates adorned the clothing of the Kohen Gadol. Engraved pomegranates decorated the pillars in the First Temple, built by King Solomon. In fact, a thimble-sized, ivory pomegranate bearing an ancient Hebrew inscription is the only relic ever recovered from the Solomon's Temple...Jewish tradition holds that a pomegranate has 613 seeds, representing the 613 mitzvot that we are supposed to keep. According to Reish Lakish, a Talmudic Sage, even the sinners among the Children of Israel have as many good deeds as the seeds of a pomegranate. And on Rosh Hashanah, when we are being judged and want to accumulate points in our favor so that Hashem will feel obliged to grant us a coming year full of health and happiness, we eat pomegranates as a symbolic gesture in the hope that our merits will increase like the seeds of a pomegranate. Continue

Hearing loss hits 1 in 5 U.S. teens

One in five American teenagers now suffers from some type of hearing loss, an increase of 31% since the mid-'90s, new research shows.

Most cases of hearing loss are slight, affecting only one ear and involving mostly high-frequency sounds, according to a study in today's Journal of the American Medical Association. Many teens may not even notice the hearing change. About one in 20 have "mild or worsening" hearing loss, which can make them struggle to follow conversations or teachers at school.

"It's very concerning," says study author Josef Shargorodsky, an otolaryngology/head and neck surgery resident at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston.

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