KJ

I warned the rabbis not to worry if they heard a lot of splashing in the mikveh, the ritual Jewish bath where I would immerse myself and say a prayer to mark my conversion to Judaism. At nine months pregnant, “I’m very buoyant,” I explained. A few minutes (and some splashing) later, I emerged from the water a full-fledged Jew — one of those big life moments that felt... well, not that dramatic. After months of study, conversations and classes, I didn’t feel different. Then the mikveh attendant, a nice older lady with a heavy accent, wrapped a robe around my shoulders. “Mazel tov!” she said. “Now you can be a gut Yiddishe mama… a nice Jewish mother,” she translated. Her sweet congratulations felt like an embrace as warm as that fuzzy robe. Converts to Judaism, Christianity and Islam spill the beans: What we wish we'd known before converting. Conversion is a journey full of surprises — some happy, some not so much. Americans are more "spiritually mobile" the...

In Budget 2014, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, has announced his commitment to lessen to burden of the people running up to the implementation of GST and the subsidy rationalisation exercise. For the assessment year 2014, we see a reduction in tax rates between 1% and 3%. We also see the income bracket of RM2,501 and RM5,000 rate reduced from 1% to 0%. This means, we won’t be taxed for the first RM5,000 of our annual chargeable income. It’s important to understand the tax reliefs available and identify which are applicable to you to ensure you spend wisely and save on your income tax. There are also some  tax reliefs that no longer apply  this year. This definitive income tax guide will help you cut your income tax by hundreds! For e-filing users, the submission deadline has been extended to May 15, 2015, while the traditional filing method ends on April 30, 2015. According to Tan Sri Dr Mohd Shukor Mahfar, chief executive officer of the Inland R...