Judaism

The New Life of the ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion: The Rudolf Slansky Trial

By Alex Gordon HAIFA, Israel — The ideology of antisemitism is not dying, it is changing forms somewhat, but the imagination of the ideologues does not go far enough. It uses the experience accumulated by the technologists of the witch trials. Blaming the Jews of the Diaspora for the creation and policies of the state […]

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Alex Gordon, International, Israel, Jewish History, Opinion

Thoughts on the Torah Portion Terumah, Prayer, Sacrifices, the Synagogue, and More

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The weekly portion of Terumah discusses some matters involving the portable Tabernacle the Israelites used for sacrifices while they were in the desert. We read the command that the Israelites must bring material to construct the Tabernacle and its contents, and build an ark that will

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

B’Shalom:  Jimmy Carter, Rose Schindler, U.S. Senate Aspirants, Gregory Peck

An Israeli-American of close acquaintance, upon hearing that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter had entered hospice, commented that he “never liked that guy, he was an antisemite.” He noted that Carter helped propagate the lie that Israel is an apartheid state, even though Arabs have entered the highest levels of government and industry alongside their Jewish neighbors in Israel.  Nevertheless, as we look back over his career, I think that we should be more charitable toward Carter, not forgetting his invaluable contributions as a mediator at Camp David, bringing about the peace between Israel and Egypt. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish History, Opinion, USA

Holocaust Survivor Rose Schindler, 93, Laid to Rest

The very fact that we Jews can gather today is because of Rose Schindler and those like her.  Our standing here is a testament to just how durable she was, and how resilient Jewish civilization is.  Rose could record her story and tell it over and over again because she survived it.   And we can tell it today because we’re still here. [Rabbi Mathew Marko]

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California, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, USA

Thoughts on Mishpatim, Laws, Morality, and Using Intelligence

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The weekly Torah portion of Mishpatim begins with laws concerning an eved ivri, translated “Hebrew Slave.” But the term is not explained. It continues with laws when a man sells his daughter as a slave, a death sentence to a person who kills another, the law

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Parashat Mishpatim, Shabbat Shekalim: Leading a Life of True Religion

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In the words of Louis Nizer, the noted Jewish-American trial lawyer author, artist, and advisor to some of the most powerful people in the world of politics, business, and entertainment, “True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess.” In this week’s readings, we are

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

A Fascinating Book on the Lessons Derived from Architecture in the Bible

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin   BOCA RATON, Florida — Urim Publications published “ArchitecTorah, Architectural Ideas in Judaism and the Weekly Torah Portion” by Joshua Skarf in 2023. It contains 178 short, informative, easy-to-read essays on the 54 weekly portions focusing on Torah topics that reveal hidden information about God and architecture design and theory

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Parashat Yitro: The Importance of ‘Do Not Covet’

Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In this week’s parasha, Yitro, one of the six portions named for an individual, the Ten Commandments (not suggestions), the Aseret HaDib’rot, are revealed to Moses and to the Israelites in the wilderness. We may learn from this pinnacle experience that the Torah can be learned anywhere, even

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

The Biblical Portion Yitro: Is ‘Ten Commandments’ a Misnomer?

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — As usual, the biblical portion Yitro is named after the first significant word in the portion, the name of Moses’ father-in-law Yitro. His name in English is Jethro with a J. German scholars began to transliterate some, but not all, names that start with the Hebrew

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Many Jews Receive Mentions in Brief History of 17 US Presidents

Ronald Gruner, who spent his working career as a CEO of three different tech companies (Alliant Computer; Shareholder.com; and Sky.Analytics), is a lay historian deeply interested in economic policy and outcomes.  His book, analyzing the presidencies of the 17 U.S. Presidents from Warren G. Harding to Donald J. Trump, focuses largely on issues like unemployment, interest rates, and inflation.  But along the way he also makes mention of significant geopolitical events that occurred during those presidencies. I will leave it to economists to determine the value of Gruner’s economic analyses.  They are beyond my depth.  What I did take notice of was how often our fellow Jews, and issues of direct relevance to the Jewish community, cropped up in the book.  [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, USA

‘A God of Our Invention’ Shines Light on Contemporary Political-Religious Agendas

Daniel Kohanski, A God of Our Invention, How Religion Shaped the Western World (Hannacroix, NY: Apocryphile Press, 2023) 285 pages, $26.00 By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — Daniel Kohanski graduated from Colgate with a degree in philosophy and received an MS in computer science from Rutgers. He spent many years as a computer programmer

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Jewish Religion, Oliver Pollak, USA