Jewish Religion

‘Sage Advice’ unlocks some Pirkei Avot mysteries

Sage Advice: Pirkei Avot Translation and Commentary by Irving (Yitz) Greenberg; Maggid Books, New Milford, Connecticut; ISBN 978-1-59264-444-5 ©2016, $24.95, p. 336 plus index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Pirkei Avot, literally meaning “Chapters of the Fathers,” but often translated as “Ethics of the Fathers,” is part of the Talmud, the written form […]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion

Arabs riot as Jews make pilgrimage to Joseph’s Tomb

Muslim rioters attacked a group of dozens of Jewish worshipers at the tomb of the Biblical Jewish patriarch Joseph in Shechem, during a pilgrimage to the site. Israeli Border Police forces and IDF Kfir Brigade soldiers accompanied 20 busloads of Jewish worshipers to the holy site last night. Under the Oslo Accords and other agreements

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Jewish Religion, Middle East

Marriage choice should be “right” not “in” nor “out”

The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem by Sarit Yishai-Levi St. Martin’s Press, 2016; ISBN 978-1-250-07816-2; 372 pages; $25.99 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– The heart rules supreme, or at least it should have, in this novel covering four generations of Ladino-speaking Israelis. Next time that you try to forbid a son or a daughter from

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion

Scholars enhanced Islamic- Jewish relations

Dr. Susannah Heschel said century of studies led to interfaith harmony Dr. Susannah Heschel said Jewish scholars’ admiration for Islam enhanced their own connection to Judaism. Photos by Debra Rubin Heschel speaks to attendees at her program, “Jewish Scholars and the Study of Islam.” At a time when both Jews and Muslims faced discrimination in

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International, Jewish Religion, Middle East

Kosher laws should lessen not increase one’s arrogance

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Parashat Sh’mini is one of the primary sources for Kashrut, the Jewish dietary laws, in the Torah. Specifically, Sh’mini contains the specifications for Kosher and non­-Kosher mammals and seafood and lists of Kosher and non-Kosher birds. The underlying reason for the laws of Kashrut is often misunderstood. People

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Jewish Religion