Let's remember that the Prophet Jonah says, "it's because of me." We read this on Yom Kippur to remind us that we need to take responsibility, and need to do a soul searching.

Recent headlines reveal gross recklessness among public servants. I'm not going to suggest that observing kashrut or any ritual laws serves as a panacea against moral turpitude. However, they help create a framework. They provide us with discipline.

Will a lightning bolt come down and strike me if I gave you a try? Surely not: half of the Upper West Side would be dead if that were the case, and last time I checked, they are a rather lively bunch.

Positive change is afoot in the kosher world. Today, more people are increasingly concerned about the food they eat, where it comes from and who is making it. They want to be assured that it is clean, fresh, safe and healthy.

I wasn't always kosher. Now, I speak all over the country about how I went from TV producer to kosher cookbook author. I'm not saying the transition was easy.