History | Israel

A Click Away from Jerusalem: Largest Virtual Tour of Jerusalem Launched

Jerusalem 360 is the largest panoramic project ever launched in Israel, enabling anyone to tour over 100 locations in Jerusalem.

This is truly amazing!

History | Israel

Tears and Pride as a Grandson Joins the IDF

The new soldiers received a gun and a Tanach, in which the “deed” to the land of Israel is found.

History | Israel

And the World’s Most Educated Country Is… | TIME.com

Despite all the recent chatter wondering if college is still worth the investment, a new study shows that we've continued to flock to college at record rates. So which nation is the most educated?

Israel is....#2!

History | Israel

3,000-Year-Old Inscription May Be ‘Oldest Form Of Written Hebrew’

A 3,000-year-old Hebrew inscription found on an earthenware jug in Jerusalem may prove that Biblical events were recorded in real time instead of several hundred years later.

History | Israel

Israel Hayom | By day a rabbi, by night a Border Police guard

Israel Hayom - The Newspaper

Entertainment | Movies

UPDATE: BREAKING: 'Star Wars' Returns -- 'Episode 7' Slated For 2015 And More Movies Planned As Disney Buys Lucasfilm - Deadline.com

BREAKING.... Disney has just confirmed that it has agreed to acquire George Lucas' Lucasfilm Ltd, and that includes rights to the Star Wars franchise that

New Star Wars movie!

Entertainment | Movies

Disney buying 'Star Wars' maker Lucasfilm for $4.05B | Fox News

A decade since George Lucas said Star Wars was finished on the big screen, a new trilogy under new ownership is destined for theaters after The Walt Disney Co. announced Tuesday that it was buying Lucasfilm Ltd. from him for $4.05 billion.

Oh no!

Entertainment | Movies

Gene Hackman slaps homeless man in New Mexico, police say | Fox News

Police in New Mexico say Gene Hackman was acting in self-defense when he slapped a homeless man who had become aggressive toward the Oscar-winning actor and his wife.

Retired from film, but apparently not retired from being a tough guy. Once a Marine...

Books | Books

‘Bunch of Amateurs,’ by Jack Hitt - NYTimes.com

Is amateurism bred into the American character?

Books | Books

Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

Killing Kennedy has 552 ratings and 177 reviews. Barry said: Ever wonder why it's a good thing that there is a site like Goodreads? Well, here is one exc...

I really liked this book! It is a GREAT overview of the Kennedy assasination!

Business & Finance | Business

Yahoo 'to buy Tumblr for $1.1bn'

Yahoo's board approves a deal to buy New York-based blogging service Tumblr for $1.1bn (£725m), US media reports say.

Business & Finance | Business

Premarkets: Fiscal cliff on the brain

Sick of the fiscal cliff negotiations yet? Well, tough luck -- the talks in Washington appear set to take center stage for investors again on Tuesday.

Business & Finance | Business

Consumer Reports names most reliable cars - (1) - CNNMoney

These are the cars and trucks that, according to a new survey, are least likely to give you trouble.

Miscellaneous | Judaism

Yes, Judaism Is Pro-Life | Daily Wire

On Thursday, Avraham Bronstein, rabbi of the Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach, New York, penned an op-ed for Ha’aretz, Israel’s most left-wing newspa

Ben Shapiro is an absolute hero for using his platform to write an excellent piece correcting the left wing myths about Judaism and abortion. Anyone even mildly familiar with normative Judaism, meaning traditional Torah Judaism, knows that abortion is prohibited. Period. The only exception is when the life of the mother is in danger. That does not mean that the US should adopt the same stance simply because Judaism says so, but it is time for people in positions of leadership to stop lying about this aspect (and all aspects) of Judaism simply because they would like to have it match their politics.

Miscellaneous | Judaism

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: The Consolations of Mortality

Before any of the deaths are mentioned we read about the strange ritual of the red heifer, which purified people who had been in contact with death – the archetypal source of impurity. That ritual, often deemed incomprehensible, is in fact deeply symbol

"Hence the life-changing idea of Chukkat: we are dust of the earth but there is within us the breath of G‑d. We fail, but we can still achieve greatness. We die, but the best part of us lives on.

The Hasidic master R. Simcha Bunim of Peshischke said we should each have two pockets. In one should be a note saying: “I am but dust and ashes.” In the other should be a note saying: “For my sake was the world created.”16 Life lives in the tension between our physical smallness and our spiritual greatness, the brevity of life and the eternity of the faith by which we live. Defeat, despair and a sense of tragedy are always premature. Life is short, but when we lift our eyes to heaven, we walk tall."

Miscellaneous | Judaism

Faith and Friendship - Covenant & Conversation - Parshah

After all that had happened – the miracles, the exodus, the division of the sea, food from heaven, water from a rock, the revelation at Sinai and the covenant that went with it – the people, yet again, were complaining about the food. And not because

"Judaism has foundational beliefs, to be sure, but it is fundamentally about something else altogether. For us, faith is the redemption of solitude. It is about relationships – between us and G‑d, us and our family, us and our neighbors, us and our people, us and humankind. Judaism is not about the lonely soul. It is about the bonds that bind us to one another and to the Author of all. It is, in the highest sense, about friendship."

Miscellaneous | Judaism

May I Join a Protest on Shabbat? - Questions & Answers

While an action may be halachically permitted, it may not be in keeping with the spirit of Shabbat and is therefore avoided.

Miscellaneous | Judaism

Why Do We Dress Up on Purim? - On wearing costumes on the holiday of Purim

Some reasons behind the age-old custom to dress up on Purim.

News | News

Hurricane Harvey Relief Comes From Unlikely Places - Chabad-Lubavitch News

International fundraising effort to help Texas flood victims

News | News

As Houston Flood Waters Rise, So Does the Kindness of Strangers

Almost as soon as the half-foot of water receded from the Bellaire home of Rabbi Yossi and Esty Zaklikofsky and it began to drain from the surrounding street, there were knocks on the family’s door. Neighbors came by to help clear away any damaged sheetrock and carpeting from their home.

News | News

Lubavitcher Woman Saves Entire Airplane • CrownHeights.info - Chabad News, Crown Heights News, Lubavitch NewsCrownHeig

22-year-old Mussie Weinfeld most likely saved the lives of a plane full of people when she suspected a malfunction with the aircraft just moments before takeoff. Despite being mocked and ridiculed, her insistence led to the plane being grounded after a se

This is a really amazing story!

News | News

Iron gate bearing Nazis' 'Work sets you free' slogan stolen from former Dachau concentration camp in Germany

Security guards at the site, near Munich, discovered that the gate, measuring 75 by 37 inches and bearing the words 'Arbeit macht frei' was missing yesterday morning.

Who are these sick people? It's not enough that Holocaust denial is becoming more widespread, but now they are destroying the physical history of it. This is a disgusting desecration of the memory of the Shoah (Holocaust). I just hope they catch the people who did this and can return the sign to its place. It would be nice too if the German "security" guards actually did their jobs, clearly they aren't putting as much care as they need to be into protecting these places.

News | News

At Wrigley Field, Orthodox vendors going way of Cubs wins

Longtime fans of the Chicago Cubs know there are a few mainstays they can expect when they visit Wrigley Field: ivy on the outfield walls, a strict no-wave policy rigorously enforced by fans and, most days, disappointing play by the hometown team.

News | Jewish Community

Texas Jewish Communities Grapple With Catastrophic Flooding

Homes, cars and streets throughout Houston are under water as torrential rains from Hurricane Harvey—now downgraded from a Category 4 hurricane to a tropical storm—continue to drench the city and cause catastrophic flooding throughout the region. At least five people have died as a result.

News | Jewish Community

Chabad Rabbi Competes on CHOPPED

Heard the old joke about the rabbi, the monk, the nun, and the priest walking onto a show set? It’s a cliche certainly, but in this test kitchen, there’s nothing stale about it. It is Leap of Faith, literally and otherwise, the latest episode

News | Jewish Community

Paris police tell Chabad not to light Hanukkah candles in public spaces - The Times of Israel

Miri Michaeli, Europe correspondent for Israel’s Channel 10 news, tweets a troubling report from Paris. The tweet reads, in Hebrew: “Chabad: Paris police order [us] to cancel most of our public [Hanukkah] candlelighting in the city, in light of the terror attack and the fear of additional attacks..."

This is very sad news and is especially sad in terms of what Hanukkah represents: freedom from fear and freedom of proudly observing Judaism.

News | Jewish Community

Orthodox Belief in God and Faith Is Spreading — Got a Problem With That? - Opinion – Forward.com

The Pew study shows Orthodox values like belief in God and adherence to custom are spreading. Mordechai Lightstone asks why any Jew would have a problem with that — even if some evangelical Christians feel the same.

News | Jewish Community

Jewish Kids Come to the Aid of Spongebob Squarepants, Ace Jimmy Kimmel's Social Experiment – Tablet Magazine

Jimmy Kimmel Live, ABC's late-night talk show, has a running feature titled

This is great. It's no accident that these Yeshiva (an Orthodox Jewish school) were the first people to help. The obligation to help other is a primary value taught in traditional Jewish school from the beginning. Actually, that education begins before school and often before a child can even speak,

Miscellaneous | Kashrut

Why Are Imitation Crab, Pork and Cheeseburgers Kosher?

Even if the Torah forbids a food, one is still permitted to eat kosher food artificially flavored to taste like it. However, if it closely resembles the non-kosher food, it may be necessary to mark it as an imitation.

Miscellaneous | Kashrut

Is the Tide Pod Challenge Kosher? - Do Detergents Require a Kosher Certification? - Chabad.org

One common misconception is that if something is kosher, then it must be healthy to eat.

Miscellaneous | Passover

How to Prepare Your Seder Plate Items Quickly & Easily!

Preparing the Seder plate items can seem overwhelming, but it needn’t be.

Miscellaneous | Passover

How To Sell Your Chametz Online - Passover

Any chametz left undisposed must be sold to a non-Jew. Use this online form to quickly delegate a rabbi to sell your chametz for you.

Miscellaneous | Passover

14 Passover Facts and Traditions Every Jew Should Know - Passover

Want to come to the Seder educated and enlightened? Here’s a good place to start.

Miscellaneous | Passover

Why Does Matzah Have Holes? - Passover

Discover the reason behind all the perforations in Kosher for Passover matzah.

Miscellaneous | Passover

Passover: The Antidote to Artificial Intelligence - Chabad.org

We welcome everyone at the Seder and give each individual personal attention, not mechanical responses…