Lazer Beams

Omri Casspi: Higher and Higher

Image courtesy of www.cleveland.com

Hashem controls the NBA, too. In His infinite wisdom, Hashem engineered that the Sacramento Kings traded their 2009 first-round draft pick Omri Casspi (from Yavne, Israel and the NBA's only Jewish player) to the Cleveland Cavaliers last year. Once Omri came to Cleveland, he met our dear friend Tamir "Jewish Jordan" Goodman. They became great friends. Meanwhile, under Tamir's influence and guidance, Omri has been finding his way back to his Jewish roots. He already puts on tefillin every morning and is becoming just as tall spiritually as his 6'9" physical stature. I had the pleasure of hearing this first hand from Tamir when I visited him in his home last week in Cleveland.

Meanwhile, Omri is recovering from an emergency appendectomy that he had 3 days ago during an away game in Florida. We pray for his full and speedy recovery.

Omri Casspi and Tamir Goodman show that you can learn Torah, wear tzitzit and tefillin and still be a cool Jew and a basketball star. Yiddishkeit is definitely cool.

Eight Candles Burning: Yoseph Joe Urso

My dear friend Yoseph (Joe) Urso is a magnificent Jewish Country-Western musician and composer. "Down-home" for the both of us today doesn't mean south of the Mason-Dixon line, but west of the Jordan River. So here's Joe's latest down-home ditty, special for the eighth day of Chanuka today, with all "Eight Candles Burning" - you'll enjoy this. Happy Chanuka and blessings for a wonderful week!

Perfectly Balanced

We're continuing with our fun-packed "Yiddishkeit is Cool" week, and we'll say "L'Chaim" on a glass of red wine with Yaacov and Yisrael, the Lubavitcher twins from France...

Sandy Koufax and Yom Kippur

Sandy Koufax is one of the coolest American Jews ever. Probably one of the best pitchers in history, he led the Dodgers to the World Series year after year. In 1963, he struck out 15 Yankees in a Series game, to break an all-time record. He was scheduled to pitch in the first game of the 1965 World Series against the Twins; the game fell on Yom Kippur and despite tons of pressure on him, he refused to play. This was one of the greatest sanctifications of Hashem's name in US history. Hashem rewarded Koufax with a perfect game that same World Series on September 9, 1965. Sandy, we wish you long and happy years!

Are Yeshiva Boys Nerds?

Our good friends and the Jewish world's leading filmmakers at my old Alma Mater Aish HaTora (Rabbinical Class of 1992) will prove to you that Yeshiva boys are definitely not nerds and that Yiddishkeit is definitely cool. Try to top this:

Narrow Bridge

If you're having fun being a Jew, you're doing the right thing. Here's Naftali Kalfa, Piamenta, and Shyne with their version of Rebbe Nachman's "The Whole Word is a Narrow Bridge." Call your kids to see this too. Yiddishkeit is cool...

"It's Cool to be a Jew": Aluf Abir

This week has been designated "It's Cool to be a Jew" week on the Beams. We'll start with my esteemed friend who has been proclaimed as one of the world's six most legendary combat-arts Grand Masters, "Aluf Abir", Rabbi Yehoshua Sofer, whose family has preserved the ancient Israeli form of combat arts known as Abir, which means "knight" or "bold one." I took Rabbi Yehoshua to see the Melitzer Rebbe; the Melitzer was amazed at the depth and the breadth of his Torah knowledge. As the Grand Master of Abir, "Mori" (Yemenite for rabbi and teacher) Yehoshua is sought after by military special forces and law-enforcement agencies from around the world. Look and see why: