In Tel Aviv, the lunch crowd suns itself at bustling sidewalk cafes. But in Ashkelon, the playgrounds are deserted, municipal buses run without passengers, and stores are shuttered with no customers …

With Israeli ground troops intensifying their war against Hamas in Gaza, diplomatic efforts to end the fighting gathered pace this week.

If they’re playing Hava Nagilah, Tsena Tsena and selections from “Fiddler on the Roof” on saxophones, string bass and accordion, and all the men are dancing together, it’s got to be a Jewish wedding, right?

Despite public disagreements over the need for an immediate cease-fire, Israeli and European officials appear to be forging improved relations on several fronts.

InvestingFor those of us with a darker view of the human experience, life is a battle. You fight, struggle, get knocked down, pick yourself up, then get knocked down again.

On the SceneOh, Murray Horwitz, be-HAY-ve!
But then why shouldn’t he? “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” ain’t exactly been bad to him all these years.

Are you going to be one of the anticipated millions set to attend presidential inaugural ceremonies on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C.?

Speaking VolumesThe Mascot, which was recently released in a paperback edition by Plume, is unlike any Holocaust book I’ve ever run across.