NEW YORK — The American Jewish Committee (AJC) fully shares the outrage of the Reform movement in response to the disparaging remarks made by Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin. The controversy erupted after Levin declared that “Reform Jews in the U.S. are a dying world.” “His words are both offensive and off-base,” said AJC Chief […]
Tourism Minister Levin’s remarks on Reform assailed Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Tifereth Israel Synagogue owns twelve Torah Scrolls. Nine are in the Silverman Sanctuary, two are in the Goodman Chapel, and one is a Holocaust Memorial Scroll. Visitors to the synagogue are impressed by the number of Torah scrolls in our Arks. They are even more surprised to learn
Protecting the Torah from errors Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – A movie about an Israeli boy who drops a Torah in his Moroccan Jewish neighborhood prompted a discussion at the San Diego Jewish Film Festival on Wednesday, Feb. 10, about the time that the wooden roller of a Torah scroll rolled off the reader’s table and onto
Someone drops the Torah and then what? Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastAdding More Equals Less By Rabbi Yaakov Marks SAN DIEGO — The Talmud Sanhedrin(29a) debates the source from where the concept ‘Whoever adds (to the Commandments) adulterates them’ is derived. Several rabbis derive it from the wording of the measurements used in the construction of the Mishkan. No matter where this concept is derived, all the
Weekly Torah portion: Terumah Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Across the United States and in Conservative congregations around the world, Men’s Club members and guests spent Sunday morning, Feb. 7, well in advance of the televised Super Bowl game, learning about the significance of tefillin and the prayers said in association with wearing the ancient phylacteries. The
World Wide Wrap Day and the making of tefillin Read More »
David Ogul, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Shor M. MasoriBy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — My family owned shoe stores in Newark, New Jersey. when I was growing up. I worked in their stores from the time I was seven years old. One day, my grandfather brought me outside to teach me an important lesson. He pointed out the competitor down the
Whose race are you running? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Sports & CompetitionsBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — According to the Torah, physical and emotional healing are ultimately in the hands of God: “If you heed the Lord your God diligently, doing what is upright in His sight, giving ear to His commandments and keeping all His laws, then I will not bring upon you any
God and medical doctors are partners Read More »
Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — The decision by the Israeli government to create a parallel praying area at the Western Wall for egalitarian – largely Reform and Conservative – worshippers by extending the existing facility at the southern end has generated (a) enthusiasm from potential beneficiaries, (b) indifference from those who aren’t awed by the
Haredim excoriate non- Orthodox after decision on Wall Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Rabbi Jeffrey Lipschultz ROCK ISLAND, Illinois –Thoughts this week fill my mind as we come to our new Parshah on Mishpatim that deals with the laws of the Torah and the command to adhere to all aspects of law, both small and large, to stand righteously with God. The laws are a sort of
Broncos are this rabbi’s secular religion Read More »
Jewish Religion, Sports & Competitions, USABy Rabbi Yaakov Marks SAN DIEGO –The Torah (Exodus 23:6-11) lists a number of laws that pertain to judging the disadvantaged: “Do not pervert the judgment of a poor person in his disagreement Distance yourself from falsehood And do not take a bribe because a bribe blinds the eyes and perverts the words of the
Weekly Torah portion: Mishpatim Read More »
Jewish Religion
-42nd in a Series– Exit 13A, Jackson Drive, La Mesa ~ Chabad of East County By Donald H. Harrison LA MESA, California – If I were to ask you what a pioneer looks like, perhaps you would describe him as a man wearing a coonskin hat, a buckskin jacket and pants, and moccasins. Maybe you
I-8 Jewish Travel: New Jewish pioneers of the West Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USAThe Myth of the Cultural Jew: Culture and Law in Jewish Tradition by Roberta Rosenthal Kwall, Oxford University Press, New York; ISBN 978-0-19-537370-7 ©2015, $34.95, p. 297, plus index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — If you’ve ever heard a new employee at work say something like, “We didn’t do it that way when I
Book review: ‘The Myth of the Cultural Jew’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — The recent Israel cabinet decision to provide a site next to the existing Western Wall that would allow non-Orthodox Jews to hold egalitarian services outside the jurisdiction of the Orthodox rabbinate is unquestionably a political victory for the Reform and Conservative movements in Israel and respectful recognition of
A political victory for non- Orthodox Judaism Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — What lesson have we not learned from one of the most basic principles in Judaism, “Love your fellow Jew as yourself”? It’s preached on pulpit after pulpit, regardless of the sex of the rabbi, the color of the rabbi’s talit, whether the rabbi wears a kippah or
‘Love fellow Jew as yourself’ — Do we observe this? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell