By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — I often get asked, “What is the symbolism of the dreidel? What exactly is its origin?” The dreidel is a four cornered top that was popular in the medieval era and originally used for gambling. Jewish folklore purports that when the Syrians prohibited the study of […]
The symbolism of the dreidel Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO –There are two ways which our enemies seek to destroy us. The first is physical. The second spiritual. Purim is the annual celebration of our physical survival. Hanukkah is the annual celebration of our spiritual survival over the many who would have liked to destroy us through cultural assimilation.
Chanukah celebrates our spiritual survival Read More »
Jewish ReligionJoshua Eli Plaut, “A KOSHER CHRISTMAS: ’Tis the Season to Be Jewish” ISBN 0813553806; Publisher: Rutgers University Press, 2012. 207 pages. Rating: **** By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Many Jews I know have a profound feeling of ambivalence when it comes to Christmas season each year. There is a hidden anxiety
‘A Kosher Christmas’ tells of Jews and Dec. 25th Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK — My many years of teaching experience have taught me many lessons. One is that when students are encouraged to express their own ideas, they inevitably do so. Moreover, they do so with great creativity and originality. The class that I had been leading on the subject of
Torah sparks flying in many directions Read More »
Jewish ReligionSAN DIEGO (Press Release) — Chanukah is the Festival of Lights, but it is also the holiday commemorating the Jewish people standing up to an oppressive bully – for themselves, each other and what they believe in. This is exactly the message that San Diego’s Jewish teens want the world to see this Chanukah, so
A new Chanukah song… from San Diego NCSY Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Mary Soltz SCARSDALE, New York — I daresay how I came to be here tonight is a different story than most of our congregants’. On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Ned spoke of faith and asked if any of us had been moved by a fervor that would change our lives, a moment
A rebbitzin remembers the rabbi who converted her Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO — Dear Readers, I have received numerous questions related to Hanukkah. Most of these don’t have much to do with financial matters. However, I will do my best to give a financial take when possible! Dear Money Maven, I’m concerned about my kids playing dreidel and betting gelt. Am I
Money Maven: Solving tough Chanukah questions Read More »
Jewish Religion, Sheryl Rowling
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Historically, the holiday of Hanukkah is a relatively minor holiday when compared to holidays like Passover or Yom Kippur, or the Sabbath. Nevertheless, its significance should not be under-appreciated. I realize many Jews try to make more out of the Hanukkah holiday in order to make
Not the victory of military power, but that of spirit Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — Hanukkah, the little holiday that could, begins with the lighting of the first candle against the darkness tonight. Year after year, the assessments begin and the questions accumulate: Is Hanukkah the Jewish Christmas? Which one came first and how are they related? (Of course, the real inquiry every
The real Chanukah-Christmas connection Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — I visited one of our younger Torah School classrooms on Wednesday. They were learning about the Luchot Ha-Brit, the Tablets of the Covenant, i.e., the Ten Commandments. One of the students asked me, “What is adultery?” Before I could answer the teacher explained, “I tell them that it
Adultery is an offense against God Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Baruch Lederman 1. This year, the first night of Chanukah is Saturday December 8, 2012, at which time we will light one Chanukah light plus the shamash. The second night we light 2 lights plus a shamash. The third night we light 3 lights plus a shamash, and so on and so forth. 2.
11 Orthodox Chanukah customs for your home Read More »
Jewish ReligionTo The Editor: I appreciate the kind words of reviewer Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel about my new book, The Real Name of God: Embracing the Full Essence of the Divine. In a review written for a popular, non-academic publication, his numerous texts references and eight footnotes (!) quite evidently display his own erudition and learning.
R. Dosick responds to book review of ‘The Real Name of God’ Read More »
Jewish Religion
By J. Zel Lurie DEL RAY BEACH, Florida — The most important fact about the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is that it was announced in Cairo by an American and an Egyptian, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. The Israeli and Hamas representatives were nowhere in sight. Here is
A short history of the recent Gaza conflict Read More »
Jewish History, Middle EastBy Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK — The class devoted to the study of leadership, using the book of Genesis as a text, was proceeding well. On this, the ninth session, it reached a new depth. It did so by paying careful attention to the subtleties of the Hebrew language. Hillel, from his
Joseph showed early signs of true leadership Read More »
Jewish Religion