Donald H. Harrison

Two rabbinic leaders disputed Torah in ancient times

Two Talmudic sages lived around 130 CE and disagreed on how to interpret the Bible. Rabbi Akiva won out, and Rashi, Nachmanides, and most ancient Bible commentators as well as most Midrashim follow his view. Others, such as Rashi’s grandson Rashbam, Abraham ibn Ezra, and Maimonides interpret the Torah as Rabbi Ishmael did. (To read more, please click on the headline.)

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion

The swastika in a U.S. military cemetery

Paul Eilert died of cancer in a Utah hospital in 1944. Eilert was a German POW. He is buried in a section reserved for POWs in Ft. Douglas, Utah. There are 20 other German WWII interments in the Utah U.S. military cemetery.  His is the only one with the Knights Cross and Oak Leaves, a very, very high military decoration for his actions against the enemy, clearly carved with a swastika into his tombstone.  Of the 800 German POW deaths in the U.S., from the lowest rank to generals, his unusual stone is the only one with the Knights Cross on his tombstone.  Research, so far, has found his name, nowhere.  Paul Eilert, the Swastika in the U.S. Military Cemetery, is a mystery. (To read more, please click on the headline)

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International, Jerry Klinger, USA

Jews excluded from British Holocaust commemoration

In a chilling message about the future of Britain, the University College Union in Britain sent out an email to all their groups informing them of the Holocaust Memorial Day 2020 commemorations next year. What is chilling is the fact that they listed trade unions, Roma gypsies, gays and lesbians, black people, Jehovah’s Witnesses, as the named victims of the Holocaust.

But thaey “forgot” to mention Jews!! (To read more, please click on headline.)

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Barry Shaw, International, Jewish History

Sefer Devarim and Jewish Sovereignty  

Sefer Devarim, the last “book” of Torah, is also called Deuteronomy because it contains many laws (1) that were not presented earlier and are especially relevant to the conquering and settlement of Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel). Commanded to conquer and “take possession” of Canaan, the Jewish people were apparently having doubts about whether this was possible, what it would cost in lives, if they would be successful, and what they should do with the Canaanites.  
Contemporary Israelis ask similar questions. Although the words of Torah guide our lives, some have a political meaning today, and may be, for some, controversial.  (To read more, please click on headline.)

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Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East

Mystery of Kol Nidre unfolded

Kol Nidre meaning all vows is an 8th century Talmudic legal document written to seek annulment of broken personal religious vows to God. It is in Aramaic, as is the Kaddish, and as a legal document there is no mention of God. Vows were taken very seriously, and supplicants appeared before three wise men (rabbinic court) and recited the Kol Nidre words three times to void their vows This ritual was practiced for centuries and eventually was added to the prayer book. Since it is not a prayer, it was placed before the actual beginning of Yom Kippur evening service. (To read more, please click headline.)

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Helping newcomers fit into the group

Most of us want to belong—to be a part of a group. We need to be accepted. We want to be liked, respected, paid attention to, even loved. We want to be heard as well as seen, and we want to fit in.

Humans are social animals. Our language expresses our deep concerns with fitting in. We attach a value to belonging. We talk about team spirit, group dynamics, being “in or out.” (To read more, please click on headline.)

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Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz

Hounding the headlines: October 4, 2019

Until I was adopted by the Barons, I didn’t know much about cats.  To be sure, when I was on the street, I saw more of them than stray dogs.  While I couldn’t wait to find a home, the cats who prided themselves on being feral relished their freedom.  The Barons owned two cats, both of whom ignore me.  Their vacant stares can only be described as catatonic. (To read more, please click on headline.)

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Lawrence Baron, Lifestyles, The World We Share

Repercussions of Israel’s fractured democracy

Relative to most parliamentary (particularly West European) democracies, Israel has a larger number of parties which has only grown over the years, each vying for the biggest representation in the Israeli parliament.

There are two major reasons behind the vast number of political parties. The Jews who immigrated to Israel from nearly 120 different countries came with different cultural, political, and ideological backgrounds – there were liberals, conservatives, socialists, and even communists. (To read more, please click on headline.)

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Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East