Jewish Religion

Adelson snubs Cruz over his failure to endorse Trump

Texas Senator Ted Cruz was turned away from the luxury suite of Jewish billionaire Sheldon Adelson after he refused to endorse Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in his speech at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night, Newsmax reports. A former U.S. senator quoted in the reported said that Cruz approached the suite after his speech.

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Jewish Religion, USA

‘The homosexuals who came to consult me weren’t proud’

Rabbi Ratzon Arusi, the Rabbi of Kiryat Ono (near Tel Aviv) and an expert in Jewish law, weighed in yesterday (Monday) about the growing media storm over LGBT issues, calling for a more civil and substantive debate. The “LGBT issue” has come to the fore in Israeli discourse once again in recent days, following controversial

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Jewish Religion, Middle East

Trump campaign finds new Rabbi

The Donald Trump campaign has found a new Rabbi. After Rabbi Haskel Lookstein – who’s been the subject of much recent controversy in Israel over the Rabbinical Court’s decision not to recognize his conversions – backed out of an engagement to deliver and “invocation”, or prayer, at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland tonight (Monday),

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Jewish Religion, USA

UNESCO hearing on ‘offensive’ Temple Mount resolution delayed

A series of controversial proposals being weighed by the United Nation”s Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have been shelved yet again, following the terror attack in southern France and attempted coup in Turkey over the weekend. The current UNESCO session, which was meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, was ended early following disruptions caused by the

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Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East

‘Ivanka’s rabbi’ withdraws from Republican convention

Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, the rabbi who oversaw Ivanka Trump”s conversion to Judaism, has withdrawn from speaking at the Republican National Convention next week, JTA reported Friday. In a letter to members of his community, Lookstein wrote that he had accepted Ivanka Trump”s invitation to deliver an invocation at the convention “out of respect for her

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Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA

Conversion by Rabbi Lookstein should be honored

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of my favorite concepts in logic is the reductio ad absurdum (Latin: “reduction to the absurd”) argument, which is a logical method of argument that proves the falsity of a premise  by following its implications to a logical but absurd conclusion. The latest news regards the nullification

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Who cut the Crown Heights eruv?

Orthodox Jewish residents of the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn were shocked to discover in recent days that a newly established eruv had been destroyed. The eruv itself had elicited a greal of controversy, dividing the neighborhoods Chabad population with the growing modern Orthodox community. In late June, local Chabad rabbis issued an edict declaring

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Jewish Religion, USA

NBA’s Omri Casspi gushes about meeting with rabbi

Israeli NBA player Omri Casspi joins the list of Israeli celebrities publicly displaying their ties to Judaism and Jewish practice. Omri Casspi praying Screenshot/Instagram Casspi posted a picture to his Instagram account in which he is seen wearing Tefilin and a Tallit (prayer shawl), and praying in the morning sunlight. In the caption to the

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Jewish Religion, Sports & Competitions

The mystery of life and death

Hukat | Numbers 19:1-22:1 The mystery of death and the meaning behind the mystery have been central concerns of every religious tradition. This week’s portion includes a detailed description of a now-obsolete rite known as the ritual of the red heifer. This practice was intended to accomplish ritual purification for anyone who had had contact

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Jewish Religion

Christian scholars undertake 13- month Judaism study

JERUSALEM (Press Release) — The American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Shalom Hartman Institute are pleased to welcome the 23 prominent North American Christian leaders that will comprise Cohort V of the Christian Leadership Initiative (CLI), an intensive 13-month educational program on Judaism, a partnership of AJC and the Hartman Institute in Israel. The program begins

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Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA

Noah’s Ark, splitting of Red Sea appear in newfound mosaic at ancient synagogue

Excavations at a late-Roman era synagogue in the Galilee have unearthed more staggering mosaics depicting biblical scenes, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced this week. The ongoing dig at the 5th-century CE Huqoq Synagogue has previously uncovered brilliant floors featuring people, beasts and heroes from antiquity never before seen in ancient Jewish

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Jewish Religion, Middle East