Dr. Susannah Heschel said century of studies led to interfaith harmony Dr. Susannah Heschel said Jewish scholars’ admiration for Islam enhanced their own connection to Judaism. Photos by Debra Rubin Heschel speaks to attendees at her program, “Jewish Scholars and the Study of Islam.” At a time when both Jews and Muslims faced discrimination in […]
Scholars enhanced Islamic- Jewish relations Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Middle East
The video was produced, tongues-in-cheeks, by the ROI Community and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.
How airlines would explain Passover customs Read More »
Jewish Religion, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Otto Skorzeny was one of the most outstanding military men of the 20th century. His specialty was daring, guerrilla-style, commando raids. He was an unrepentant Nazi, a senior SS officer, who remained involved in right-wing causes his whole life. And now it’s emerged that he was also an agent and hitman for Mossad, the Israeli
How a former Nazi officer became a hitman for Israel Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East
Video has emerged of Iranian Jews preparing for the upcoming Passover festival by baking matzah, the unleavened bread that is the key traditional food eaten during the festival. The video, published by the Kikar Hashabat website last week, shows several members of the Tehran community manning a small matzah-baking production line. Strict religious rules govern
Tehran Jews begin making matzah Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Michael Mantell, PhD SAN DIEGO — Of course, those who really need this article probably won’t read it. That’s the way arrogance works. It makes you feel that you are better than the next person, that you certainly don’t need to change, and besides, no one is really smart enough to teach you anything. In
Arrogant? Here’s how to become humble Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — We all love bee honey. No Rosh Hashanah meal would be complete without it. Yet, in this week’s Torah portion of Shemini, we find ourselves asking a conundrum that has puzzled many rabbinic minds since the days of Late Antiquity. I am referring to the verse in Leviticus, “But
The kosher paradox of the bumble bee Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –As we read about the various permitted and forbidden animals in this week’s Torah portion of Shemini, I found myself remembering some thoughts I once penned about this particular subject. Several years ago, I came across an interesting story, worthy of a Sherlock Holmes tale. Actually to
In defense of non-kosher animals Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
It’s going to be a busy weekend for Donald Trump. Just ahead of what’s expected to be a close Republican primary in Wisconsin, Trump’s newborn Jewish grandson is to be circumcised. The GOP frontrunner anticipated Theodore James Kushner’s arrival in his speech to AIPAC last week, announcing: “My daughter, Ivanka, is about to have a
What role for Trump in grandson’s brit milah? Read More »
Jewish Religion, USABy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Parashat Sh’mini is one of the primary sources for Kashrut, the Jewish dietary laws, in the Torah. Specifically, Sh’mini contains the specifications for Kosher and non-Kosher mammals and seafood and lists of Kosher and non-Kosher birds. The underlying reason for the laws of Kashrut is often misunderstood. People
Kosher laws should lessen not increase one’s arrogance Read More »
Jewish ReligionPlease Don’t Eat the Marshmallow! By Rabbi Yaakov Marks SAN DIEGO — The Torah lists the specifications for the living creatures which, according to the laws of kashrut, a person may or may not eat. Mammals must have split hooves and chew its cud. Fish need to have both fins and scales. The non-kosher birds
Weekly Torah portion: Sh’mini Read More »
Jewish Religion
Nobel Prize winning author of Fateless BUDAPEST (JNS.org)– Hungarian writer Imre Kertesz, a Holocaust survivor who won the the 2002 Nobel Prize in Literature for his fiction work, died on Thursday in Budapest at age 86 after a long battle with illness, the Magveto Kiado publishing firm said. Kertesz was deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp
Imre Kertesz, 1929-2016 Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Obituaries & memorialsBy Joe Spier CALGARY, Alberta, Canada — Isidor Straus was born in Otterberg, Bavaria in 1845 and his brother Nathan in 1848. They were the sons of Lazarus Straus, an observant Jew. Lazarus emigrated to the U.S. in 1852, settling in Talbotton, Georgia where he started out as a pushcart peddler and then established a general
The Straus brothers made and donated fortunes Read More »
Jewish History
NEW YORK (WJC) –The world’s leading press agency, the ‘Associated Press’ (AP), willingly collaborated with Germany from 1935 to 1941 to disseminate Nazi propaganda photos in the United States and agreed to provide pictures for Nazi publications, including anti-Semitic SS manuals, a researcher reports. The Associated Press released a statement Wednesday rejecting the allegations. In an article for the German
AP rejects report that it cooperated with Nazis Read More »
International, Jewish History
LOS ANGELES (JNS.org) — Jewish actor and comedian Garry Shandling died Thursday at the age of 66, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said. Shandling is best known for working on the cable television comedy show “The Larry Sanders Show,” which aired from 1992-98. He began his entertainment career by writing for sitcoms such
Gary Shandling, 1949-2016 Read More »
Obituaries & memorials, Theatre, Film & Broadcast