Jewish Religion

STEM, STEAM, and Now STREAM Children’s Books

Educators long have worked with STEM curricula — emphasizing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  When artists declared such curricula were too limiting, the notion of STEAM was introduced.  Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Now, here comes STREAM — Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art, and Math… [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shor M. Masori

Rosh Hashanah Is Not a Biblical Holiday

Rosh Hashanah is not a biblical holiday, although it replaced a biblical one. It is notably different from the holiday it replaced. The biblical holiday, Yom Teruah, had a totally different purpose than Rosh Hashanah, which focuses on the onset of a new year, repentance, and commitment to live the next year properly. Yom Teruah concentrated on months and the number seven. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

‘Riding the Edge’ Is a Memoir of Self-Discovery

In the context of the Middle East, to which they traveled by way of a tortuous, yet exhilarating bike safari through Europe, the Jewish Michael Tobin and his Lebanese-Christian girlfriend Deborah were problematic candidates for a lasting romance.  Religion, nationalism, and past romantic attachments seemed to militate against their permanence as a couple  However, these two American psychologists were open to new experiences and to each other, and their time on the road meeting people for intensive discussions about life, love, and loss, impacted each of them differently and profoundly.   [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food

A Modern Approach to the Understanding of Judaism

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — In 1953, the brilliant scholar Dr. Theodor H. Gaster published Festivals of the Jewish Year: A Modern Interpretation and Guide. It was updated in 1961. It is about the Jewish festivals and the Sabbath, their description, origin, and comparison to other ancient festivals. In six chapters

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Remembrance of a Covid Wedding

By the time Dr. and Mrs. Bernardo Stein of Seminole, Florida, and Mr. and Mrs. David Abelson of Oldsmar, Florida, had finished the guest list for the wedding of their children, the number had mushroomed well past 400. By the time Arlyn Stein and Adam Abelson walked down the aisle last Dec. 19, the list of “guests” had shrunk to, well, zero. The entire wedding party consisted of the bride and groom, their parents, three siblings and two grandparents. Oh, and Cooper, their 10-month-old mini-poodle. [Bruce F. Lowitt]

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Bruce F. Lowitt, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, USA

‘Torah IQ’ Provides More Than 1,000 Questions and Answers

The first of the two Torah sections presents twenty questions for each parashah (weekly Torah reading), such as, in parashat Chayei Sarah he asks, “Who in the Torah had 13 children? And in parashat Shoftim, “Which word is an acronym for the four types of leaders in Israel mentioned in parashat Shoftim?” The second of the two Torah sections offers 169 general Torah questions. For example, “Why did Paroh (Hebrew for Pharoah) change Joseph’s name?” and “What is the only birthday party mentioned in the Torah?” [Fred Reiss, Ed.D]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Haftorah Reading for July 31, 2021

This fully poetic, artistic passage from Isaiah II comprises the second  haftorah prophecy of consolation after the 9th of Av, leading up to the Sabbath before Yom Kippur. As stated in the previous essay, it has no connection to the corresponding Torah parasha.This fully poetic, artistic passage from Isaiah II comprises the second  haftorah prophecy of consolation after the 9th of Av, leading up to the Sabbath before Yom Kippur. As stated in the previous essay, it has no connection to the corresponding Torah parasha. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

An Explanation of the Famous Book ‘Tanya’

Maggid Books in association with Steinsaltz Center has published part of the text of one of the two famous books by the founder of Chabad Hasidim, also called Lubavitcher Hasidim, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812). Rabbi Zalman’s other famous book is Shulchan Arukh Harav, a book that only partially survived, which deals with Jewish law. This book, a translation and commentary of part of the Tanya, originally published in Hebrew in 1797, is by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz (1937-2020) a Chabad Hasid, the author of over 60 books and more than 100 articles. Not all of Steinsaltz’s writings focus on Chabad mysticism, but this book is about Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s view of mysticism. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion