Tonight marks the start of the Hanukkah holiday, a festival lasting eight nights. Each night an additional candle is lit on the Mennorah, Hanukkah being the festival of lights. Most non-Jews know that it is a holiday, but not what it is about. Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. In 168 BCE (Before the Common Era) an army of Hellenistic Syrians invaded and conquered Israel. The Syrian king, Antiochus, decreed that everyone had to adopt the customs of Greece. He out...

I took my nine-year old daughter, Lauren, to see the new Peter Pan today. A really enjoyable film, I must say. I am referring to the latest version of Peter Pan, from Universal Studios. The movie stars Jeremy Sumpter, Jason Isaacs, Lynn Redgrave, Ludivine Sagnier and Olivia Williams. Except of course for Lynn Redgrave, I was not familiar with any of the cast members. But the quality of the acting was quite good and, in the context of this being a children's fantasy film, they created believa...