#Judaism
Advice & Self-Help | Jewish Wisdom
Mayim Bialik: Common Myths About Orthodox Judaism--Debunked!
Karin Brooke’s post on Kveller about losing her daughter to religious fundamentalism struck a chord with me for a few reasons. First, I am technically a baal teshuvah–a person who took on Jewish observance later in life. I struggled a lot in college rega
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Must One Honor Abusive Parents?
There are many kinds and levels of abuse, and different people can cope with and tolerate different situations and relationships.
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
‘The Almighty Helped Me to Survive’: A Marine’s Tale From the Pacific Theater
When Bernard (Baruch) Haller enlisted in the United States Marines in 1941, he had two goals: to serve his country and to survive. To accomplish these goals, he knew that he’d need the help of a Higher Power. And so Haller, known to friends as Bernie, vowed then and there never to eat non-kosher meat and never to miss a day of tefillin.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
How Did the Mission of the Twelve Spies Go So Wrong?
Moses felt that the Israelites had no reason to fear the inhabitants, as they had all seen the great miracles wrought against the much more powerful Egyptians.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Is Midrash for Real? - Part 1 in a series on the truth behind Talmudic tales
Torah, like any wisdom, has departments. You can’t study literature the same way you study biology, and you can’t critique poetry as you would journalism. So too, you can’t study one department of Torah the same as you study another.
News | News
Mel Alexenberg – MIT Artist and YU Rabbi Explore Art in Judaism
Mel Alexenberg – MIT Artist and YU Rabbi Explore Art in Judaism In Memory of Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm z”l, President and Chancellor of Yeshiva University, on his first yahrzeit on 8 Sivan I am sharing here my dialogue with Rabbi Lamm in December 1
Miscellaneous | Judaism
13 Facts About Learning Torah - Mitzvahs & Traditions
Torah study occupies a central place in Jewish life, but how much do we really know about this activity?
Miscellaneous | Judaism
9 Facts You Should Know About Mount Sinai - Shavuot
Mount Sinai is where G‑d Himself descended and struck a deal with His chosen people.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Don’t Be Scared to Crawl Out of Your Covid Cage - Jewish Insight & Commentary
After the vaccine, I was again afraid and anxious, this time about going out.
Advice & Self-Help | Jewish Wisdom
Healing Body and Soul - Daily Dose of Jewish Wisdom
Your body and your soul fuse together as one. Nothing happens in the soul that is not reflected in the body. And nothing happens in the body that doesn’t deeply affect the soul
Advice & Self-Help | Jewish Wisdom
Thinking Healthy - Daily Dose of Jewish Wisdom
The Baal Shem Tov taught, “Where a person’s thoughts are, that’s where he is, all of him.”
Miscellaneous | Judaism
10 Facts About Pesach Sheini Every Jew Needs to Know
If someone was unable to participate in the Passover offering at
the proper time, they would offer the sacrifice a month later.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Torah Study: Does It Matter Which Words Rashi Quotes?
See how a nuance in a simple one-line Rashi can be examined, unpacked, and understood in an entirely new light.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Is It Wrong to Like a Lot of Stuff? - Parshah
Is it OK to
enjoy a good shopping spree and to delight in yet another Amazon box at your
doorstep?
Miscellaneous | Kashrut
Are Bottom Feeders Kosher Fish?
There is a commonly held belief that where a fish lives determines whether it is kosher. Is this the case?
Miscellaneous | Passover
A Mitzvah to Eat Matzah Every Day of Passover?
The Torah tells us, “For seven days, you shall eat unleavened bread . . .” Do we take that at face value?
Miscellaneous | Passover
The Pharaoh Syndrome - Passover
Pharaoh, you see, was actually quite intellectually capable; it was just that he was "Monotheistically Challenged"
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
13 Pro Tips for Your Second Passover In Isolation
Keeping those of us still isolated in mind, we’ve prepared a list of tips for making this Passover as positive, meaningful and memorable as possible!
Miscellaneous | Passover
As Covid Recedes, Passover Ushers in Season of Hope
Amid continued restrictions and rising vaccinations, Chabad-Lubavitch brings Passover to one and all
Miscellaneous | Passover
Passover: The Long Road of Exodus - Daily Dose of Wisdom
As soon as you stop leaving Egypt, you are back there again.
Miscellaneous | Chabad
17 Facts Everyone Should Know About Hasidic Jews - Essentials
Peer under the broad black hat and learn what makes Hasidim tick
Miscellaneous | Judaism
14 Kosher Myths and Facts
Are you ready to challenge some of the things you’ve always thought to be true about the Jewish dietary laws? Let’s begin!
Miscellaneous | Purim
Purim: Why Read the Megillah Twice?
Why do we read the Megillah twice every Purim, once at night
and once during the day?
Miscellaneous | Purim
20 Ways to Increase Your Happiness in the Month of Adar
We all need to work to create a joyous atmosphere in our homes and in our lives. But before we can create the right atmospheres, we often have to adjust our attitudes.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
How to Observe Judaism in Outer Space?
Space travel presents its own unique challenges to the Jewish astronaut: How can one procure kosher space food, as well as all the other necessities of Jewish life? How does one face Jerusalem when praying in orbit?
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Tu BiShvat: Who “Invented” the Holiday on 15 Shevat?
When did Tu Bishvat become a thing, and why specifically now?
News | News
Unpacked – How Israel Reshaped Jewish Culture & Who Decides Who is a Jew?
Unpacked – How Israel Reshaped Jewish Culture & Who Decides Who is a Jew? Many Americans define their Judaism culturally rather than religiously. But with Israeli-Jewish influences becoming increasingly prominent, is there still a role for American-
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Torah: What to Tell Yourself When Things Go Wrong
In the meantime, it’s dark, confusing, and difficult. That’s only because the process of getting to a deeper place can give space for negative consequences. But just around the bend is a time, a space that is even deeper and greater, that it will make thi
Miscellaneous | Chabad
He Came to Fix a Freezer. Little Did He Know . . .
My wife, Esti, and I co-direct the Chabad Jewish Student Centre in Vancouver, Canada. As you can imagine, we serve a lot of food. So our freezer, which is filled with lots of kosher meat, chicken and other kosher items, is very important to us.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
3D Kabbalah #5: The Art of Balance - 3D Kabbalah: How G-d Creates the World
God's names are expressions of one single Entity, reflecting Him and how He interacts with the reality He creates.
News | News
UNPACKED – Watch How Education Kept Judaism Alive
UNPACKED – Watch How Education Kept Judaism Alive Why has Judaism survived for thousands of years? Along with rituals and communities, a major factor in the endurance of Judaism is the central role of education. In fact, teaching and learning has pr
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Judaism: Darkness is a lie. There is only light.
Darkness lurks ubiquitously, mockingly, as though it is the sober truth—that all is empty, for there is no meaning.
Miscellaneous | Chabad
Discovering a Personal G-d on My Trip to the Ohel - The Ohel
I had decided to visit the Ohel, the Rebbe’s gravesite in Queens, N.Y., a place I hadn’t been in more than 16 years and a place I actually thought I wouldn’t ever be again.
News | Jewish Community
Chief Rabbis Honor Rabbi Jonathan Sacks by Teaching His Work on the Rebbe’s Talks
Excerpt from Sacks’s Torah Studies Taught in Six Languages as Part of Worldwide Project
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Judaism: Perseverance Vs. Perfection - Vayigash
The Joseph-Judah relationship and the points at which their paths converge continue throughout history. From the sale of Joseph onward, Judah and Joseph constantly interact with each other, and their relationship continues in various forms. Here, in Parsh
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Can I Use Vaccines Made From Fetal Tissue or Non-Kosher Animals? - Ethics & Morality
We will start off with the question of non-kosher ingredients and work our way to vaccine made with fetal tissue.
Miscellaneous | Chanukah
Why Insist on Depicting a Straight-Branched Menorah? - Questions & Answers
Despite the depiction of the Temple menorah on the Arch of Titus, Chabad makes a point of depicting the menorah with straight, diagonal branches. Why?
Politics | Politics
Why the cultural elite truly despises Hanukkah
Well, because Hanukkah is about as out of step with the contemporary elite consensus as any religious tradition can be.
Miscellaneous | Chanukah
Chanukah: The Eternal Light - Daily Dose of Wisdom
The flames of the Temple Menorah have been dark for many centuries, but the flames of the Chanukah menorah can never be extinguished.
Politics | Opinion
The Torah Versus the Left
Question: What book is the opposite of the left? Answer: the Torah. The Torah is the Hebrew name of the first five books of the Bible, the “Five Books of Moses.” The Torah is the foundation of the rest of the Bible and the rock on which both Judaism a
Miscellaneous | Judaism
A Deeper Look at the Menorah Blessings - Chanukah, 5743
The three blessing we recite before kindeling the menorah carry deep inside them the timeless Chanukah lessons for our service of God, specifically in our times.
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
The First Hanukkah Light in Bergen Belsen - Chanukah
A wooden clog became a hanukkiah; strings from a uniform, a wick; and shoe polish, pure oil.
Miscellaneous | Chanukah
Chanukah: How Is It Possible that Enlightened Reasoning Could Bring to Spiteful Bigotry?
This is the light of God’s wisdom. It’s not there for our use that we can manipulate it and modify it to fit our needs and desires. If we’re able to figure a little bit of it out, well, that’s pretty amazing. But if we can’t, that doesn’t change its truth
Miscellaneous | Chabad
Chabad: The Rebbe on Violence and the Pursuit of Justice
On 19 Kislev 1968, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson reflected on the essential role of peace on the path to redemption
Miscellaneous | Miscellaneous
13 Hanukkah Facts Every Jew Should Know
Become an expert on this widely celebrated but barely understood Jewish festival.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Did Abraham Really Invent Monotheism?
What About the Yeshivah of Shem and Eber?
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Contemporary Voices: Do You Really Think G-d Speaks to Us?
“How can I know what
G‑d wants me to do?” a woman once asked the Rebbe.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
An encounter with Rabbi Sacks, a Jewish leader who inspired a generation
My spiritual and intellectual development were very much crystallized by his words and perspectives.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Why Halloween Is Not Consistent With Jewish Values
Halloween's history and theology make it problematic for Jews on many levels.
Miscellaneous | Chabad
Chabad-Lubavitch Announces Emissary to the United Arab Emirates
Appointment comes amidst growth of Jewish life and six years of serving as the only rabbi in UAE
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Join Us in Praying for (and Learning From) Rabbi Sacks
If you read Chabad.org, or if you follow the happenings of the Jewish world, it is virtually impossible for you not to have been touched by the writings, teachings or example of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the British Commonwealth.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Why Do Some Letters in the Torah Have ‘Crowns’?
Many of the letters are topped by
small spikes, called tagin or ketarim. Here is why.
News | News
The Discussion Continues on the Future of the Jewish People by three Israeli Visionaries. Part II
https://israelseen.com/shows/lhdpart2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS | More The Discussion Continues on the Future of the Jewish People by three Israeli Visionaries. Part II This discussion was originally held in 2007 bu
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Why Do We Fast on Yom Kippur?
What is Yom Kippur all about? Unpack layers of meaning embedded in the requirement that we neither eat nor drink for the duration of this most holy and solemn of days.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
On the Essence of Shabbat Shuvah - High Holidays
There is an essential problem in the combination of Shabbat and teshuvah.
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
5780 in Review: A Year of Pain and Loss—and of Kindness and Community - The stories that helped define the year
As nearly every aspect of the world around us was changing in this year of global pandemic, Chabad.org/News worked to provide unique perspectives on the unfolding tragedy and unfathomable loss of life, while at the same time reporting on the outpourings of kindness and humanity from every part of the globe. With the Jewish year 5780 coming to a close, here is a look at some of the stories that defined it, as featured on Chabad.org/News.
Miscellaneous | Chabad
Rosh Hashanah to Begin Amid Pandemic With Global Prayers for a Good New Year
Chabad brings the sound of the shofar, and holiday’s message of hope and faith, to millions
Miscellaneous | Judaism
How I Will Celebrate Rosh Hashanah Alone? - High Holidays
I’m an older woman, living
alone. I'll be observing the holidays at home, by myself.
Miscellaneous | Chabad
High Holiday Services Directory - Find Outdoor Shofar Blowings, Services and More at a Synagogue or Park Near You
Celebrate the High Holidays among friends and connect with your inner self. From Alabama to Wisconsin, Abidjan to Zurich, join us and find your local High Holiday home.
Miscellaneous | Diaspora
Don’t Get Too Comfy in the Diaspora (Ki Tavo 2020)
Baruch Gordon quotes a commentary on the First Fruits offering which delivers a powerful message to Diaspora Jews today...
Advice & Self-Help | Jewish Wisdom
Are Body Piercings Kosher? - Questions & Answers
We often associate
piercings with tattoos, and we may wonder if they are equally forbidden.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Shofar Over the Internet During Elul? - Chabad
Due to the pandemic, I’m
currently unable to attend service. Can I fulfill this custom by listening to
the shofar over Zoom?
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Seven Thoughts About Elul to Help Us Turn Inward and Forgive - High Holidays
Welcome to the month of turning inward, the month of forgiveness, the month of spiritual accounting, the month of deepening.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Judaism: What Does ‘Eye for an Eye’ Really Mean?
Does Torah want us to poke out the eye of an eye-poker?
Politics | Opinion
Anti-Zionism is Antisemitism
From the blog of Ben Yeroushalmi at The Times of Israel
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Jewish World Mourns Passing of Renowned Talmudic Scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
The late Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. Photo: steinsaltz-center.org. The Jewish world was in mourning on Friday following the death of Rabbi …
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
18 Tisha B'Av Facts Every Jew Should Know
Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of Av, is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Preparing for Tisha B’Av During a World Pandemic - A 25-hour period of fasting and reflection begins on Wednesday night,
Every year, Jews around the world don non-leather shoes, and make their way to synagogues and Chabad centers for evening services, followed by the mournful reading of Eichah (the book of Lamentations), the slim volume in which the prophet Jeremiah mourns the impending destruction
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Why a Mezuzah Is Not a Mezuzah
If not for the scrolls, there would be no reason for plain old doorposts...
News | Jewish Community
What Sigmund Freud Knew (But Did Not Understand) About Jews - Essentials
Sigmund Freud, the “father of psychology,” was secular in his professed beliefs and practices. Here is one deeply spiritual insight he knew but did not quite understand.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
How Two-and-a-Half Tribes Ended Up East of the Jordan - Jewish History
Learn how Moses gave the land east of the Jordan to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manassah, on one condition.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Learn the Shabbat Law of the Week - Chabad Lubavitch
Official homepage for worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch movement that promotes Judaism and provides daily Torah lectures and Jewish insights. Chabad-Lubavitch is a philosophy, a movement, and an organization. Chabad is considered to be the most dynamic force in
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News: EoZTV: Jonathan Neumann on “Tikkun Olam”
.My latest EoZTV interview is with Jonathan Neumann, author of To Heal the World?: How the Jewish Left Corrupts Judaism and Endangers Israel.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Rabbis Agree: Kneel Before No one Except God
In response to the situation, Rabbi Jeremy Gimpel, co-founder of the Land of Israel Network, quoted former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Shavuot in the Age of Corona
On Shavuot morning, 3,332 years ago, Heaven kissed Earth, and G‑d communicated the 10 Commandments upon Mount Sinai. Every year we relive that experience when we stay up all night and then read of this event from the Torah during Shavuot morning services.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
May I Order a Shabbat Delivery? - And what to do with packages that arrive - Shabbat
In general, if a Jew is forbidden to do a certain act on Shabbat, it is also rabbinically forbidden for him to ask a non-Jew to do so on his behalf (unless there are specific extenuating circumstances, such as illness, etc.).
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Shavuot: The holiday that started it all. | Jlife
Most people get excited, or at least know about, the festivals of Passover and Sukkot. GREAT NEWS: there are three Jewish festivals! And the third one is, in many ways, the one that started it all: Shavuot.
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Holy Jewish site of Esther and Mordechai set ablaze in Iran - reports - The Jerusalem Post
'Disturbing reports from Iran that the tomb of Esther & Mordechai, a holy Jewish site, was set afire overnight,' ADL National Director Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
What Is Kabbalah? - The Soul of Judaism - Essentials
If this is a secret wisdom, why are we teaching it?
News | JEWISH COMMUNITY
A Minyan in the Time of Social Distancing
Fifteen of us gathered loosely around a streetlight to pray for my late mother.
Advice & Self-Help | Jewish Wisdom
Jewish Responses to Epidemics Throughout History - Insight & Commentary
Let’s take a look at epidemics throughout history to gain some
insight into how Jews were affected and how leaders responded.
Advice & Self-Help | Jewish Wisdom
Jewish Wisdom: Religious? Not Me!
When I hear the word "religion," I instinctively cringe. My stomach turns. My hands become clammy. My throat dry. On occasion, I have been known to break out in hives. This tends to confuse people who know me as a Torah observant Jewish woman...
News | News
Jerusalem's best-kept secret comes in form of silent prayer
Did you know Jews pray on the Temple Mount? They do this discreetly, without provocations, and the custom is one
Advice & Self-Help | Jewish Wisdom
10 Ways to Help an Especially Sensitive Child - Parenting
How can I help her become stronger so she can survive in a world that’s not always fair and tactful, and so that she’s not constantly suffering a maelstrom of emotion?
Miscellaneous | Diaspora
Fearing for his life, Jew secretly celebrates Hanukkah in enemy country
A Jew living in a hostile Arab country went out of his way to celebrate Hanukkah this week, despite the
News | JEWISH COMMUNITY
The Lesson Of Chanukah Is Deeply Relevant In 2019. Here’s Why.
The Jewish holiday of Chanukah — that’s properly spelled “Chanukah” and not “Hanukkah,” by the way — began last evening. At some point over the past century, as American Jewry grew in both rank and number and as a politically
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Elder Of Ziyon - Apparently, protecting Jews from antisemitism is now considered antisemitic
From the NYT (I am not going to fisk the article itself, which is biased towards BDS in unreal ways:)
Advice & Self-Help | Jewish Wisdom
4 Strategies for More Meaningful Conversations - Editorial & Commentary
Studies show that social interactions, even if very brief, leave us feeling more satisfied and happy.
History | History
Did Jews Ever Abandon the Temple Mount?
The claim that no Jewish temple ever existed in Jerusalem and that Jews have no rights whatsoever on the Temple Mount is part of the "temple denial" doctrine that has been increasingly internalized in Palestinian academic, religious, and political
Politics | Antisemitism
Caught on camera: Hasidic man violently attacked by four men in Brooklyn
It's terrifying how often antisemitic attacks are happening!
Family & Parenting | Jewish People
Why the Difference Between Men and Women in Jewish Prayer? - Israel Unwired
Share on FacebookTweet Whatsapp Boost this video to reach up to 1000 people
Family & Parenting | Jewish People
Men and Women in Jewish Prayer - Israel Unwired
Share on FacebookTweet Whatsapp Boost this video to reach up to 1000 people
News | Interesting Stories
As Holocaust awareness fades, a survivor shares his story - Los Angeles Times
Joseph Alexander, 96, a slight man with a Polish accent, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, spoke on a sunny Sunday to a rapt crowd of about 30 at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.
Miscellaneous | Islamism
A frightening look inside a children's camp in Turkey
So much for being the first Muslim majority country to recognize Israel.
Politics | Opinion
Judaism should not be used an ideological prop | JNS
Protesters using Tisha B’Av to call for the elimination of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security are doing more than using a misleading analogy.
Politics | Antisemitism
What's happening to European Jews better wake up America
These statistics are extremely unsettling.
Family & Parenting | Jewish People
The Muslim who Loves King David's Jerusalem more than the Jew - Israel Unwired
Share on FacebookTweet WhatsappIt might be hard to imagine, but in the following videos we meet a Muslim in Bahrain who is seemingly more connected to Jerusalem than the Israeli journalist who interviews him. While the journalist pushes the Muslim about v
News | News
Naomi Campbell Honors the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Again | Israellycool
Naomi Campbell has just posted the following on social media
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Supermodel Naomi Campbell Hearts the Lubavitcher Rebbe | Israellycool
I have even more respect for Naomi Campbell than I had before.
Family & Parenting | Jewish People
What just took place in a synagogue in Bahrain will blow you away
The nation of Israel lives!
News | News
Jonathan Sacks - Sages and Saints Naso 5779
Jonathan Sacks – Sages and Saints Naso 5779 Parshat Naso contains the law of the Nazirite – the individual who undertook to observe special rules of holiness and abstinence: not to drink wine or other intoxicants (including anything made from grap
Politics | Antisemitism
Muslim Imam Bashes "Delusional" Louis Farrakhan in Front of a Jewish Audience
Imam of Peace opened up on his honest thoughts about Farrakhan, and some of the high profile people he has influenced, in front of a Jewish audience in NYC.
Politics | Antisemitism
SICKENING Jew hatred at NYU Graduation Ceremony
This is so sad. NYU isn't even hiding their tacit support of Jew haters. They invited one to speak at the graduation ceremony!
Entertainment | Television/Film/Books
Herman Wouk’s Calling Card | Jewish Week
What ‘This Is My God’ meant to traditional Jews in mid-century America.
Politics | Judea & Samaria
Historic Funeral Held for 2,000-Year-Old Jewish Bones Desecrated by Arab Looters
A funeral 2,000 years in the making was held for human remains from an ancient burial tomb near Jericho’s Hasmonean Palace.
Politics | Antisemitism
Horrific antisemitic act in Brooklyn caught on camera
It is enough already! We must stop these hate crimes!
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Poway and the Struggle for America’s Soul - Insight & Commentary
If you’re a Jew in America today, there’s a good chance you’re concerned.
News | NEWS
Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein | A Terrorist Tried to Kill Me Because I Am a Jew. I Will Never Back Down.
I do not know why God spared my life in my Poway synagogue. All I can do is make this borrowed time matter.
News | News
750,000 people visit Western Wall since start of Passover | The Jerusalem post
The number of visitors is larger than in previous years..
Politics | Interesting Links
Meet The Man Who Fled Iran To Embrace Judaism, Freedom, And Conservatism In The U.S.
On November 9, 2016, an Iranian man arrived in the United States on his search for freedom, only to be welcomed by the sight of tens of thousands of Americans exercising their freedom of speech and assembly in protest of
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Genetic research: almost 25% of Latinos, Hispanics have Jewish DNA - Israel News - Jerusalem Post
Unprecedented genetic research undertaken by dozens of professors from around the world has provided evidence that almost a quarter of Latinos and Hispanics have significant Jewish DNA.
Miscellaneous | Torah
Rabbi Sacks: Why The Revelation at Mount Sinai Was the Creation of Freedom | Parshat Yitro
A Torah scroll. Photo: RabbiSacks.org. The revelation at Mount Sinai — the central episode not only of parshat Yitro, but …
Family & Parenting | Kids
Why the Chanukah Gelt? - Reasons for giving Chanukah gifts
On Chanukah we give the children gelt. Why?
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Hanukkah Is Not Christmas. This Year, Let's Embrace That
Hanukkah ought to be celebrated in its own right. And failure to see it for what it truly is means children will likely abandon Judaism
News | Antisemitism Watch
Why Jew-hatred is different from other hates ~ Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News
I’m reading various account and commentaries of the horrific shooting and massacre of Jews in synagogue in Pittsburgh today, and everyone is putting up their own political spin on the event. It is expected - and disgusting.
Miscellaneous | Miscellaneous
Story — Raise the Roof
Artists Rick and Laura Brown are not Jewish and not Polish, and yet they set out to rebuild Gwoździec, a magnificent wooden eighteenth century synagogue in Poland that was later destroyed by the Nazis.
News | News
Need tefillin? There’s an app for that
'Wrapp' crowd sources the Chabad mission of helping Jews pray by offering a platform for instant lending and borrowing of phylacteries
Miscellaneous | Miscellaneous
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.
News | Interesting Links
Ancient beard traditions shape the face of modern Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (AP) — Facial hair is trendy worldwide these days, but in Jerusalem beards have never gone out of style, projecting religious mysticism, nationalism and ideals of mascul
Miscellaneous | OTHER STUFF
Photographing Eastern Europe's Fading Jewish Architecture – Tablet Magazine
Photographer David Kaufman looks at the world through a historical lens. Quite literally, in fact, as he shoots with bellows, the folding attachment used on cameras since the Civil War. Though Kaufman is fascinated by the past, his old-fashioned equipmen
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
New York Times Avoids Calling a Jew a Jew | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com
When is a Jew not a Jew? When The New York Times is writing about him or her and is...
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Honor a Holocaust Victim by Tattooing Her Number?
My teenage daughter would like to honor my mother by getting a tattoo of her Auschwitz number. We are quite divided on this issue. Can you please help?
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Some thoughts on being Jewish in contemporary polite society
A famous screenwriter/director and I were having lunch, doing our interview, and I asked him this one thing, and he answered this other thing, but that other thing didn’t make sense, and I followed up, and he once again said the other thing. And again,
Science & Technology | Israeli Innovation
Armed with faith and kids, Haredi women set eyes on tech
A busload of ultra-Orthodox women hits the road to meet female titans of the high-tech industry in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
Miscellaneous | Interviews
No Longer Silent | Jlife
The Segerstrom Center for the Arts welcomed back the esteemed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater this past April, with an incredible piece by Artistic Director Robert Battle, “No Longer Silent.” Originally created in 2007, it was part of a concert of choreography that brought to life long-forgotten scores by composers whose work the Nazis labeled “degenerate” and banned. The piece is set to “Ogelala,” a piece that Jewish Czech composer, Erwin Schulhoff, composed between 1922 and 1925.
History | Culture
Who Stood at Sinai? | Jlife
According to A midrash, “Every Jew who ever was, and ever will be born, stood together at Sinai when the mountain smoked and trembled and G-d revealed the law to them.” We assume that meant men, women and children. But not everyone sees it that way.
Politics | Op-Ed
A Meditation on Meditation | Jlife
I recently participated in a Jewish meditation session, which was beautiful, relaxing and deeply spiritual. For the other people in the room.
Miscellaneous | Other Stuff
Charles Krauthammer: The Holocaust and American Jews - NY Daily News
Bernie Sanders is the most successful Jewish candidate for the presidency ever.
History | Culture
Light Over Darkness | Jlife
Light is the overarching, central, definitive metaphor for Jewish understanding of all of reality…
History | History
Correcting Mistakes About Hanukkah - The Michael Medved Show
Despite extensive media coverage and rising levels of public partying, the holiday of Hanukkah still causes confusion among both Jewish and non-Jewish Amer
History | Culture
DENOMINATIONS! | Jlife
This month’s issue addresses cultural diversity—a term we have all become very familiar with in this era of social awareness.
Family & Parenting | Family & Relationships
Teaching Gratefulness | Jlife
“Who is rich? Those who rejoice in their own portion” – Pirke Avot 4:1.
News | Local News
Not Your Typical High School Club | Jlife
Many teens have been a part of the Bureau of Jewish Education’s (BJE) community since childhood… for some it may be their first experience with the organization. Either way, BJE wants everyone to know just how welcome they are.
History | Culture
The Science of Happiness | Jlife
Happiness is firmly ingrained in Jewish tradition. In fact, when we evaluate the newest scientific research on happiness, we can correlate much of its findings with the Jewish way of life. Judaism encourages community participation filled with food and tradition while research shows us that those involved in community are happier people. Judaism prescribes family values, relationships, celebrations and working through loss according to accepted rituals.
History | Culture
Jews of Many Colors | Jlife
When most American Jews think of their traditional Jewish culture, they think of Passover Seders and matzah ball soup, hamentashen and black-hatted, pale-skinned Hasidic men, and Yiddish-speaking bubbes (grandmothers) and zeydes (grandfathers). But, that is only one Jewish ethnic group of many.
News | Local News
In Our Own Back Yard | Jlife
Twenty years after the gavel heard around the world acquitting O.J. Simpson of murdering his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, Jewish Federation & Family Services and Nicole’s youngest sister Tanya Brown are giving a voice to women who are victims of domestic violence.
News | Local News
Comrades & Conversation on the Court | Jlife
Recently, i had the honor and privilege of speaking with a few great guys who have kept up with a wonderful tradition all their own. For the past five or six years, a dozen community seniors meet every week on Friday at 10:30 a.m., most attend University Synagogue. These friends and comrades converge on local tennis courts for an hour and a half. Following the games they gather at a local restaurant for lunch and discuss the news of the day. This has been a very special tradition that these men look forward to every week.
Politics | Op-Ed
Reeling in the Millennials | Jlife
As a member of the millennial generation, limited participation of women in Torah study, life in the Old Country or even growing up in a predominately Jewish neighborhood—are a few of many aspects to the Jewish experience that are foreign to me.
Miscellaneous | Interviews
The Secret of Chabad | Jlife
The white truck was parked on 49th Street just west of Fifth Avenue. As I peered into it I saw a young bearded man putting phylacteries on another young man. Just then, I heard a voice asking me if I was Jewish. I turned to see yet another young man.
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
Why I Wear a Jewish Star on My Necklace – Tablet Magazine
When I was in fifth grade, my great-aunt took me to an Indian jewelry store in Chicago’s West Rogers Park neighborhood and bought me a necklace with a Jewish star pendant. It had only been three years since we immigrated from what’s now the former Sov
Miscellaneous | Other Stuff
‘When Western women stop being objectified, they can criticise us.’ Orthodox Jewish women fight back
The Hebrew phrase “chillul hashem” translates as bringing shame upon one’s community in the eyes of the outside world. It can be invoked by anything from double-parking to failure to observe the complicated latticework of laws that circumscribe orthodox Jewish life, dictating everything from hairstyles to behaviour.
History | History
A Flag and Israel's Flag
It all starts with identity, the identity of a people and a country. A national flag is a symbol of a sovereign country.
History | Culture
Baseball's Jewiest Moment of All - Culture
With catcher Joe Ginsberg behind the plate, Lou Limmer stepped into the batter’s box to face Saul Rogovin. Murray Greenberg looks back at the most Jewish moment in baseball history — 64 years ago.
Entertainment | Entertainment
Oh, My Pop Culture Judaism: Jewish Erasure & Discrimination in the X-Men & Marvel Movie Adaptations | Lady Geek
When I was in grad school I had a Biblical Studies instructor who was from Romania. He was a member of the Romanian Orthodox Church, but he seemed to have a great love of Judaism and was an active advocate against anti-Semitism. I remember him sadly tell
Miscellaneous | Other Stuff
JEWISH WOMEN: First Among Equals & NEVER Subservient | Josh Namm | Jlife
Judaism, and by extension, Jewish culture, has always held women in the highest regard. Not the “we’re putting you on a pedestal like a pretty doll” kind of regard, but the “women are central to our culture and traditions and every inch the equals of men” kind of regard. Virtually alone among ancient traditions, Judaism has, literally from the beginning, placed men and women on an equal footing, while still recognizing the inherent differences between the two sexes (and to claim that there are no differences is as silly as saying that water is not wet).
