“It ain’t over until the fat lady sings” is a well-known expression. Every adult I asked had heard the expression, and I assumed that it had been around forever. However, according to Wikipedia, it was first coined in 1976 by Ralph Carpenter, the sports information director of Texas Tech, referring to a sports competition. The “fat lady” is thought to refer to the often overweight sopranos of the opera, particularly Richard Wagner’s operas, in which the soprano sings herself to death at the end of the opera.

In trying to rein in my eating, I have been thinking that more care with brachos acharonos (blessings after eating) should be a big help in curtailing or controlling compulsive overeating. How does one make brachos properly in a situation when one eats, tries (and intends) to stop but then continues? If you wait after eating something and don’t say a bracha acharona, you are implying that you are not done eating yet, that you anticipate that you will eat more. If you make a perfunctory bracha acharona, not meaning it, and then resume eating, and continue to repeat this behavior, you could be making tens of brachos a night. (This is not a halachic discussion; consult your rabbi for his guidance.) But, if you could bring yourself to make the bracha acharona with kavana (intention, concentration), you are saying that you are determined to end your eating session. If this idea could be internalized, it is possible that, even if only for a short time, “It is over when the fat lady bentches.” We could work on keeping that commitment of ending a food session. Even if this “holds” for only a short time and then eating is resumed, at least some interruption in the compulsive eating has been effected.

Although I was not living in Baltimore when the world-renowned Torah giant, Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, visited, 50 years ago in January, 1968, I can picture the scene. It was a rare and gala event, one that lives in the memories of those fortunate to have experienced it and who graciously shared them with me.

“It seems like just yesterday that our family was preparing for the historic visit by the gadol hador, Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l,” reminisces Frank Storch, who was 10 years old, at the time. “I remember the preparations and the tremendous excitement that was building throughout Baltimore. Everyone was grateful that we would be zoche to have the gadol hador in our city.”

As Jews, our attention is constantly focused on Eretz Yisrael and the perpetual wars in the Middle East. This is quite natural, however we cannot ignore the news coming out of North Korea. This hermit country, ruled by a dynasty still professing extreme repressive Stalinism, is advancing its missile and nuclear weaponry in a declared battle with the U.S. and South Korea. In fact, we may be surprised to find ourselves at war with North Korea once again, in a conflict left over from the Cold War era.

Currently ruled by an unpredictable megalomaniac, Kim Jong-un, North Korea has over the years sparked numerous crises almost leading to war. Often, the crisis dissipates through temporary agreements with the superpowers. This tactic has enabled North Korea to buy time and cheat its way to becoming a war-mongering nuclear power. Given its new nuclear and missile capabilities and its over-a-million soldiers, a war with North Korea, especially if that country is backed by its traditional Chinese and Russian allies, could be very messy and dangerous.

Thank you to Ann Goldberg for her thought-provoking article titled “Those Boys of Yours” in the November 26th issue of the Where What When. Ms. Goldberg’s intent was to remind the reader of the adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and not to assume that if a boy sits and learns he is part of the small, misguided group that is currently creating a chillul Hashem in Israel.
That Ms. Goldberg’s friends and/or acquaintances would assume that her family was involved in the incidents she is discussing because they have “that look” (black hat, white shirt,

President Trump has made a superb choice in selecting South Caroline Governor Nikki Haley to serve as our ambassador to the United Nations. Ambassador Haley is a bright, savvy, and right-thinking public servant who will make us proud in her new and difficult role as this is arguably one of the most difficult and impossible jobs anyone could imagine. Soon enough, it is likely that Ambassador Haley will feel like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, when she begins to recognize that “We’re not in South Caroline any more, Toto.”

Ambassador Haley has made it perfectly clear in carrying out her task that “The days of Israel-bashing are over in the United Nations.” Representatives from nations whose agenda seemingly is as a single issue: Hate Israel, blame Israel, destroy Israel.

Do you feel heavy and bloated after the Shabbos challah? Does challah give you stomach cramps? Or, perhaps you sneeze several times after eating it, or start to itch. Any of these symptoms and others – one website on Non-Celiac Glucose Sensitivity (NCGS) listed over 50 common reactions to gluten when I first was diagnosed – may be caused by this component in wheat, barley, rye, and spelt that allows these grains to bind together as a flour. I discovered my intolerance when I developed chronic sinusitis. Determined to banish my ever-present froggy voice, I made an appointment with an allergist. After two hours of testing for airborne and food allergies as a trigger for my congestion, absolutely nothing showed up. “So strange,” I said to the doctor, “because I only use spelt, and even a three-day Yom Tov dose of that gives me stomachaches and increased congestion.”

Starting your own consulting business can be easier than you’d think. Most of it is just making sure that you’re providing your unique skills and knowledge to people who don’t have it. Best of all, most consultants can start part-time, so they don’t have to quit their day job to get their business going.

It’s actually advisable to give it a trial run before making it your full-time occupation. Running your own business takes particular personality traits and endurance; it’s not the right choice for people who crave predictability or have low risk tolerance. Sometimes you won’t know this about yourself until you’re in that situation – and you definitely don’t want to eliminate any options until you’re sure that being independent is truly good for you!

As Jews living in America we cannot turn a blind eye towards the social and political changes happening within our very own communities. Recent polls show that over 60% of Americans favor legalizing marijuana, and 65% see marijuana as the least dangerous drug. Indeed, most Americans feel that it is safer than alcohol. With a medical marijuana dispensary set to open in Pikesville later this month, the question of marijuana – its use and legalization – is on our doorsteps. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to educate our community about marijuana, including its harmful and beneficial effects as well as how parents should approach the subject with their children.

When singles make aliyah, they find themselves in new communities and work environments, and they embark upon the adventure of finding themselves in a foreign culture and language. In this last article of the singles series, we will explore how singles navigate shidduchim in Israel, some beautiful anecdotes as well as challenges they encounter and practical advice for any curious reader who is contemplating aliyah.

People have different attitudes when it comes to dating and the single stage of life. Some see it as a race: who gets to the finish line first. Others see it as a game: learning the rules and trying to enjoy the process as much as possible. And still others see it as a nuisance of a waiting process, inhibiting them from living the life they want to live. When making aliyah, the process continues, albeit on different turf.

Anyone remember Baltimore Hebrew University on Park Heights Avenue and its red brick building with the year-round Chanukah menorah atop its front door? Well, the building was replaced by an extension to the JCC parking lot. But what happened to the 90-year-old Jewish institution itself? A unanimous Maryland Board of Regents vote determined its destiny in June of 2009. Baltimore Hebrew University – with its 55 graduate students, seven instructors, and a library of approximately 70,000 volumes – would be moved eight miles northeast to the campus of Towson University, with its more than 21,000 students.