By Joel Moskowitz, M.D. SAN DIEGO — At a recent meeting of the Obstetrics and Gynecologic Society in the San Diego Convention Center, those entering were confronted by a myriad of anti-circumcisIon signs held by young males and females: “Circumcision is Unnecessary” A photo of a young baby boy “You’re gonna cut off what?!” “Circumcision [...]
By Yiftach Levy LA JOLLA, California –Since being appointed to the role of Israel’s deputy foreign minister in 2009, Danny Ayalon has achieved some measure of success in an area that has been problematic for Israel for years, if not decades: its PR image. Using — indeed, embracing — emerging technology and social media tools [...]
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Sefirah reminds us to elevate ourselves each day. Sometimes we stumble and fall down. At those times it is more important than ever to elevate ourselves, brush ourselves off and carry on. Rabbi Aryeh Leib HaCohen Heller was appointed Rav of Rosiantov at a very young age. In [...]
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –What some seem to regard as bad news for Israel may, in fact, bode well for its future. I’m referring to the uproar in the country and abroad following the very public criticism by Yuval Diskin, the former head of internal security, when he spoke of the “messianic” scaremongering about [...]
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Harbour of Hope is a new documentary by the Swedish filmmaker Magnus Gertten. It describes how, in the last days of World War II, his country rescued thousands of inmates from Nazi concentration camps. The opening scene shows old footage of a girl looking into the camera. It’s my [...]
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — There’s talk of early elections in Israel. Though the government has still more than a year to go, it needs to replace the so-called Tal Law that de facto exempts the ultra-Orthodox (haredim) from military service and which some time ago the Supreme Court declared to be unconstitutional. This [...]
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — The late Prime Minister Rabin is said to have been fond of a story about a Jew in some small East European town who was facing execution by the local squire. The Jew asked for a postponement for a year and promised that in that time he’d teach the [...]
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO –Twenty four thousand talmidim (students) of Rebbi Akiva perished in a horrible plague. These were the best and the brightest. It was a devastating blow to the leadership, to the entire existance of Klal Yisroel. Hashem in His infinite mercy enabled our nation to rebuild after this tragedy. Torah [...]
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — By all accounts, the most admirable feature of American Thanksgiving is that it’s being celebrated by all citizens. Irrespective of religious affiliation, skin colour or income, all Americans feel the need to give thanks for the country in which they live, even when they’re grossly disadvantaged in comparison to [...]
By J. Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida –Jews come in many shapes and colors. One of the strangest is the Karaites, founded in the 7th century by a charismatic Jew named Anan Ben David. He totally rejected the holiness of the Talmud and strictly obeyed only the 613 mitzvot found in the Torah. The Karaite [...]
