Jill and I send our best wishes to everyone celebrating Passover in the United States, the State of Israel, and around the world. At its heart, the Passover story is one of overcoming adversity and finding hope, of summoning the resilience and resolve to emerge from a long dark night to a brighter morning. [President Joe Biden]
President Joe Biden’s Passover Message Read More »
Jewish Religion, USA
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, 33 states have introduced 165 bills purportedly to guarantee election integrity, but really to suppress the votes of core Democratic constituencies like ethnic immigrants and people of color. To fend off charges of racism, these states are now trying to disguise the real intent of such legislation. Here are some examples: [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Racing Towards Election Integrity Read More »
Travel and Food
It’s another one of those weeks! You know, the ones where the Rabbi has any number of possible themes that he can address. Another way of expressing the situation is by calling it, “A target rich environment.” So many subjects, so little time.[Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]
A Word of Torah: The Great Shabbat Read More »
Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi
For the second year in a row, we find ourselves asking the same question as we asked last year: “How is this Passover Seder in the era of the COVID 19 pandemic different from other Passover celebrations?” [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel}
A Seder During a Pandemic is Like the Original Passover Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
The late Dr. Howard Rubenstein’s Prometheus Bound was scheduled to open off-Broadway at The Tank in September of 2020, but alas: Covid. So, the publisher sent me a copy of the script for review. Rubenstein’s play is not a translation of Aeschylus but a free adaptation, which is a good thing. Translations of ancient texts often require long winded explanations of why certain references were funny or topical at the time, which audiences don’t have time for. [Eric George Tauber]
Ancient Greek Play Raises Some Still-Modern Questions Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eric George Tauber, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
This is a short, mainly prose, contrived stitching together of Jeremiah passages. They were selected by later rabbis as an example of a tirade against the nation of Judah’s corruption shortly before its downfall by Babylon (586 BCE). [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Haftorah Reading for March 27, 2021 Read More »
Travel and Food
It’s déjà vu all over again. Groundhog Day. More of same. Another general election in Israel. The fourth in the space of two years. And again the result does not give a decisive majority to any combination of the 38 parties vying for our votes. Israel’s society is fragmented into countless interest groups, with parties representing segments of the population, ideas and occasionally even ideologies that seek to predominate in this small country. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Yawn! Israel’s Election Produces More of the Same Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East
American Jews cannot avoid hearing from grossly ill-informed Israel-bashers, most notably those who masquerade as being loftier than thou. Four items in recent weeks stand out. [Bruce Ticker]
No Shortage of Ill-Informed Israel Bashers Read More »
Bruce Ticker, International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
Asian-Americans experienced the largest single rise in severe online hate and harassment year-over-year in comparison to other groups, with 17 percent having experienced sexual harassment, stalking, physical threats, swatting, doxing or sustained harassment this year compared to 11 percent last year, according to a new survey released today by ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). Fully half (50 percent) of Asian-American respondents who were harassed reported that the harassment was because of their race or ethnicity. [Anti-Defamation League news release]
ADL, Citing Hate Statistics, Urges Reform of Social Media Companies Read More »
Lifestyles, USA
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has been meeting with American, European and Israeli government representatives to end-run both the American Taylor Force Act (anti-“pay for slay”) and the Israeli law prohibiting financial transfers to the Palestinians in the amount the PA remunerates terrorist “salaries.” [Shoshana Bryen]
P.A. Seeks to End Run U.S. Law Against Paying Terrorists Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the March of the Living will be hosting multiple virtual events and programs to commemorate Yom HaShoah- Holocaust Remembrance Day. View the promo video https://youtu.be/akdIQv9M9dk to learn more about this year’s theme and how we will be place memorial plaques on the train tracks leading into Auschwitz-Birkenau. [March of the Living news release]
Virtual March of the Living Set for April 8 Read More »
International, Jewish History, Marcia Tatz Wollner, San Diego County, USA
What’s the most frightening question you can ask a Jew this week?
“Have you finished cleaning for Pesach yet?” It’s Shabbat HaGadol, the first Seder follows immediately after Shabbat and, oh my goodness! And if that’s not enough, along comes parasha Tzav to point to how we benefit from de-cluttering our homes, and I’d add, our lives. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Transforming the Mundane Into the Holy Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
The Jewish Community Center in Boulder, Colorado, is actively participating in the healing of that city in the wake of a gunman opening fire on Monday, March 22, at the Table Mesa King Soopers supermarket and killing 10 people ranging in age from 20 to 65, including Police Officer Eric Talley, 51, who tried to quell the disturbance. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish community responds to Boulder, Atlanta shootings Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA
Lovers of opera know Giacomo Puccini as the composer of La Boheme, Tosca, Madame Butterfly and Turandot. Maestro Hershey Felder inhabits this persona in his latest film project: Hershey Felder Presents Puccini. Felder is world famous for his biographical portrayals of famous composers, sometimes drawing upon his own Jewish heritage for figures like George Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Leonard Bernstein. [Eric George Tauber]
Hershey Felder’s Intimate Portrait of Puccini Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Theatre, Film & Broadcast