By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–The members of the Israeli government, whether secular or Orthodox, don’t seem to pay much attention to the Reform and Conservative (Progressive) movements in Israel. If these seek evidence of recognition, they normally only get it through the courts, and even then it takes the government a long time to obey […]
Progressive Jews face Israeli apathy, hostility Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East
By Josh Hasten/JNS.org In time for Purim 2014, popular Israeli-Canadian singer and composer Naftali Kalfa seeks to give everyday relevance to the Jewish holiday’s age-old story with his recently released single “Miracles.” Written by Kalfa, and recorded alongside well-known Israeli singer Gad Elbaz and Jewish reggae singer-songwriter Ari Lesser, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, “Miracles”
Canadian-Israeli a top exponent of Jewish music Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Binyamin Kagedan/JNS.org The names of religious holidays are usually fairly straightforward, pointing us to the central symbol or theme of the festival. Pesach refers to the ancient lamb offering, the korban pesach; Shavuot, meaning “weeks,” points to the careful counting of seven weeks that precede it; Sukkot are the booths that Jews inhabit
What is the name ‘Purim’ all about? Read More »
Jewish HistoryBy Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel –What’s significant about October, 1943? During that month the Danes carried out an unprecedented rescue of Jews from deportation to Nazi concentration camps. Werner Bachmann recently told a rapt audience at a recent Forgotten People Fund luncheon in Netanya, “I was meant to be one of those murdered by
Denmark’s once-proud history recalled Read More »
International, Jewish History, Steve Kramer
By Judy Lash Balint/JNS.org JERUSALEM– Israelis take Purim seriously—kids get the day off school, many towns put on a lively Purim parade, and the streets are filled with people of all ages running about in costumes, delivering mishloach manot baskets of prepared food goodies to their friends and neighbors before sitting down to the
Israeli poor get lots of attention at Purim Read More »
Jewish ReligionEAST LANSING, Michigan (Press Release)–Rabbi Ben Kamin’s new book Dangerous Friendship: Stanley Levison, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Kennedy Brothers will be available from Michigan State University Press this April and is available for sale through its website www.msupress.msu.edu and at fine bookstores. The product of long-concealed FBI surveillance documents, Dangerous Friendship chronicles a
Kamin’s book on King, Levison and Kennedys debuts Read More »
Jewish History, USA
By Cantor Sheldon Merel SAN DIEGO — I clearly remember the Seders I attended at the home of relatives during my Hebrew school days. I was proud to chant the “Ma Nishtana” and sing along in Hebrew. The group would sing the songs they knew, but talked most of the time. The conversation was not
Memories of seders past Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Loren Kantor STUDIO CITY, California –My paternal grandfather was a Torah scribe. He spent his days carefully drawing the Hebrew letters that made up the Torah, the most sacred of Jewish texts. Writing on thin parchment paper made from the skin of a kosher animal, he began by carefully marking thin pencil lines that
Tales of the Woodcutter: The Torah Scribe Read More »
Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
By Ozzie Nogg OMAHA, Nebraska — Pesach is coming, so make sure to kasher your water. In his coverage of the Middle East peace process, freelance journalist Andy Rowell writes, “As much as the conflict between Israel and Palestine is about religion and access to land, it is also about resources and who controls those
Should your water be kashered for Pesach? Read More »
Jewish ReligionThe Scandal of Kabbalah: Leon Modena, Jewish Mysticism, Early Modern Venice by Yaacob Dweck, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ; ISBN 978-0-691-16215-7 ©2011 (paperback edition ©2014), $24.95, p. 235, including appendices, bibliography, and index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California–Kabbalah is the hidden and esoteric theology of Judaism. Kabbalists believe that Moses received this secret wisdom
Book Review: ‘The Scandal of Kabbalah’ Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO–A local synagogue recently made the news for the worst reason. The congregation discovered that its former Executive Director had embezzled a sizeable amount of money from their restricted funds. The loss only came to light after a new Executive Director began reviewing their books. Judaism demands the highest level
Keeping non-profit groups honest Read More »
Jewish ReligionThe Tefillah Revolution by Chaya Sara Lefkowitz; Menucha Publishers (Brooklyn, 2013); 184 pages; ISBN-10: 1614650950;$17.98. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –In her beautifully attractive book, The Tefillah Revolution, Chaya Sara Lefkowitz begins her subject focusing on one of the most important problems regarding the prayer life of people: Why do we find it
Women’s prayers more spiritual than men’s? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
NEW YORK (Press Release)– World Monuments Fund (WMF) announced on Thursday, Feb. 27, the receipt of an award of $220,000 from the David Berg Foundation of New York for five projects at Jewish heritage sites in Europe and Africa: the Schola Canton in Venice, Italy; the Great Synagogue of Iasi, Romania; Split Synagogue in Croatia;
Funds donated to conserve 5 Jewish sites Read More »
International, Jewish HistoryDavid’s Psalms by David Sharir and Benjamin Segal; Gefen Publishing House, 2013; ISBN 9789652296191, 110 pages, Rating 5+ Stars. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — This new book on the Psalms is very simple and yet very elegant. Rabbi Benjamin Segal’s previous volume, New Psalm: The Psalms as a Literature, is an excellent
Five stars plus for a book on Psalms Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi