Judaism

The care of holy places

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO–After Jacob tricked Isaac into giving him Esau’s blessing, Jacob fled to Haran to escape his brother’s wrath. One night he stopped to rest. He lay his head on a stone, fell asleep, and dreamed. In his dream he saw a ladder with angels going up and down. God appeared

The care of holy places Read More »

Jewish Religion

Halloween superstitious? How about tefillin and mezuzot?

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Rabbi Kamin’s interesting article on the subject of Halloween reminded me of many of my own childhood experiences. Is Halloween “permitted”? Is the children’s ritual of “Trick and Treating,” considered forbidden because it emulates the practices of the non-Jewish world? Many years ago, a learned colleague

Halloween superstitious? How about tefillin and mezuzot? Read More »

Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

The Pole who volunteered to be imprisoned at Auschwitz

The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery by Captain Witold Pilecki, Translated from the original 1945 report by Jarek Garliński, Aquila Polonica (U.S.) Ltd., Los Angeles; ISBN 978-1-60772-009-6 ©2012, $34.95, p. 401, including pictures, maps, appendices, index, and discussion questions By Fred Reiss WINCHESTER, California — On September 10, 1940, the German battleship Bismarck fired six shells

The Pole who volunteered to be imprisoned at Auschwitz Read More »

Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish History

Abraham, Sarah, Moses turn the ‘Paige’ on age worries

  By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Isn’t it amazing that Americans are living longer than ever before in recorded history  More than 87 million Americans will be over 65 by the year 2040, according to the National Institute of Aging.  Today, the over‑65 group accounts for about 30 million people; the

Abraham, Sarah, Moses turn the ‘Paige’ on age worries Read More »

Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi