It’s carob time again! Come Tu B’Shvat, congregants, Hebrew School students and those who attend Jewish Day Schools prepare themselves perennially to hear all about their “raisin” d’etre. Perhaps it’s time to branch out, and leave the almonds, figs, and dates alone and look to the trees for a different source of nourishment. Perhaps its time for the trees to […]
I attended a kosher breakfast earlier this week, where I, along with a handful of other Jews, were greatly outnumbered by church-going Christians. The group is known as Root Source. Via the internet, its members are taught about Jewish concepts, ideas and thought, and especially Israel. Their teachers are Orthodox Jews who have no reservations whatsoever about those to whom […]
Up until last week, I had never heard of Heritage House. Located on 7 HaMalakh Street in the Jewish Quarter of the old city of Jerusalem, this heretofore non-descript house of lodging made news, when it was discovered that the proprietors of Heritage House drew up a list of individuals who are not welcome. Among those who need not apply […]
Israel is a stain on humanity. As incredulous a charge as this may be, there are a goodly number of Jews both in Israel as well as in the diaspora who believe this to be true. Furthermore, these Jews feel it a mitzvah of the highest order to convince you that their belief is sacrosanct. For Palestinian nationalists to hurl […]
Close to 25 years ago, Charles Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt, prominent American Jews known for their generosity and largesse agreed that something had to be as far as Jewish youth between the ages of 18-26 identifying as Jews. They came up with “Birthright.” Known in Hebrew as Taglit, or “discovery,” Birthright brings Jewish youth from gateway cities in this country […]
“The die has long since been cast; the fight will take place. The Jews with their backs to the sea, fighting for their very homes, with 101 percent morale, will accept no compromise.” These words were written mere weeks before Israeli independence was declared and its people having to fight for their very existence in the concomitant War of Independence. […]
The words of Samuel II, 7:23, which find themselves in the Shabbat Mincha service, took on a new meaning for me this past Monday: “You are one (of a kind), Your name is one (unique) and who is like Your people, a suis generis nation on earth.” Without a doubt I’m in the minority, but for me the opening of […]
