A free-floating melody is in the ether; however, no one listens to it. The melody needs a sense of purpose. [Book review by Donald H. Harrison’
Children’s Literature: The Torah Is Like a Melody Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion
Haftorah Reading for PeKudei is I Kings 7:51-8:21 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — This short passage, essentially all in prose, describes the end of the Temple construction, followed by a procession to bring forth the Ark for placement in the Holy of Holies. This was followed by a dedication statement by Solomon,
Haftorah for March 5, 2022 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionHaftorah Reading for Vayakhel is 2 Kings 12:1-17 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — An inspection for the assigned Haftorah for this Torah portion shows that in some years, rabbis chose a different text. In the year 2022, it is the text above. This short passage is all prose, and to this reader
Haftorah for February 26, 2022 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — This special week, on Shabbat Shekalim, we read parashat Vayakhel. This is the first of several Shabbatot leading to Passover, including Shabbat Zachor (April 12, 9 Adar II), Shabbat Parah (April 26, 23 Adar II), Shabbat HaChodesh (April 2, 1 Nissan) and Shabbat HaGadol (April 9, 8
Parashat Vayakhel/Shabbat Shekalim: The Power of Community Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
Susan Lisker recently gave the following Drash (sermon) at Ohr Shalom Synagogue. This month is Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). By Susan Lisker SAN DIEGO — The Parasha for this week is Tetzaveh. It means you will command (or order). The word is from the Hebrew root TZ(adik), V(av), H(ei). It’s also
Disability Awareness: Going Further to Make This a Better World Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego CountyHaftorah Reading for Ki Tissa is I Kings 18:1-39 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — In these all prose “prophetic” passages by unknown writers, we are introduced to a ‘miracle’ induced by ‘atypical prophet’ Elijah during the reign of King Ahab of the Northern Kingdom (871-852). This was in the era of unknown
Haftorah for February 19, 2022 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionBy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — What counts in your life? Rather, what do you make count in your life? This week’s parasha may seem a bit “obsessed” with counting. “When you take the sum of the children of Israel according to their numbers, let each one give to the Lord an atonement
Parashat Ki Tisa: Counting What Matters Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Haim Jachter, the rabbi of a Sephardic synagogue for more than 20 years who is of Ashkenazic descent and trained in Ashkenazic yeshivot, tells readers about more than 100 differences in the religious practices between Ashkenazim and Sephardim. Ashkenazim are Jews of eastern European descent. Sephardic
Book Provides Comprehensive Analysis of Sephardic-Ashkenazi Differences Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish ReligionBy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — It’s been 60 years since I hearkened to the glorious words, “Yaamod Ha’Bachor ha’Bar Mitzvah Moshe Rafoyel ben Betzalel Shlishi,” and chanted this parasha, Tetzaveh, at Temple B’nai Abraham in Newark, N.J., under the watchful eye and full heart of Rabbi Joachim Prinz, zt”l. I recall our
Parashat Tetzaveh: Our Spirituality is Deep Within Us Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — American Shtetl: The Making of Kiryas Joel, A Hasidic Village in Upstate New York is a brilliant, eye-opening, thought provoking, easy to read and enjoyable book by two university scholars, Nomi M. Stolzenberg of the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, who has written
The Unexpected Successes of Satmar Hasidim Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish ReligionHaftorah Reading for TeTzaveh is Ezekiel 43:10-27 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — In these all prose passages, we are bamboozled by a flood of word salad and redundancy. We have previously established that all the prophets were psychotic, i.e. the definition of psychosis specifies that it includes one who claims to converse
Haftorah for February 12, 2022 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
By Menachem Posner Chabad.org/News BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Viewers of Chabad.org/Video and consumers of the website’s in-depth essays have long known and enjoyed the prolific scholarly output of Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin, Chabad-Lubavitch emissary to Downtown Brooklyn and rabbi of Congregation B’nai Avraham in Brooklyn Heights. The rabbi’s most recent work, Simanim: Parsha Mnemonics, provides a
Discussing the Secrets of Torah Numerology with Author Rabbi Aaron Raskin Read More »
Jewish Religion, USABy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. In this week’s Torah reading, we learn of a gift that Hashem has given to us, yes, another gift, this, the gift of giving. Want to grow happier and more joyful than you are? Terumah teaches us a way — give. Want to live with a sense of abundance and
Parashat Terumah: The Gift of Giving Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael MantellHaftorah Reading for Terumah is I Kings 5:26-6:13 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — These brief all-prose passages from “The Former Unnamed Prophets” purport to summarize a description of the construction of the First Temple, i.e. King Solomon’s “house.” Solomon is depicted simply as wise, via a gift from the LORD. [1] The
Haftorah for February 5, 2022 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion