If I Am Not for Myself, Then You Are Nothing! By Rabbi Yaakov Marks SAN DIEGO — After the Jews had settled peacefully into their wilderness encampment, Yitro, Moshe’s father in law, brought Zipporah, Moshe’s wife and two sons from Midyan, to be reunited with their husband and father. Moshe and all the leaders hosted […]
Weekly Torah portion: Yitro Read More »
Jewish ReligionDaniel Klein (editor and trans.) and Samuel David Luzzato, Shadal on Exodus: Samuel David Luzzatto’s Interpretation of the Book of Shemot; Kodesh Press, 2015; ISBN-13: 978-0692522066. Price: $29.95. Rating ***** By Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the most remarkable modern day exegetes of the 19th century was the Italian biblical commentator,
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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Kenneth Bandler NEW YORK — The American Jewish Committee (AJC) strongly urges Knesset passage of a proposed bill permitting egalitarian non-Orthodox prayer services (tefillot) at the southern side of the Kotel (Western Wall). The measure is slated for a vote on Sunday. For decades the Conservative and Reform movements have demanded equal rights at the
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Jewish Religion, Middle East, USABy Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — Imagine a resort for evangelicals. Imagine a theme park like setting encompassing 18 acres a Jewish World Outreach Pavilion, attractions named Wings over Israel, March of Prophecy, and Walk Through the Bible, along with “the Wailing Wall and Plaza” and a training center for evangelist outreach to Jews. This is
Cerullo’s ‘theme park’ will target Jews for conversion Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– Valencia and Meyer Etz were enthusiastically adopted by the children of the Abraham and Anne Ratner Torah School at Tifereth Israel Synagogue on Sunday, Jan. 24, the day of Erev Tu B’Shevat. Tending to the needs of the Etzes, the children brought them food and water and even
Tu B’Shevat, Torah School style Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – The chief executive officer of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism once almost gave up on God and religion after his stepmother died and he became estranged from his rabbi father. However, Rabbi Steven Wernick added in an interview that through its outreach, the caring Jewish
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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, USA
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Jewish Community Centers, Tifereth Israel Synagogue, and the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs all have played important roles in Phil Snyder’s Jewish education, while the entrepreneurial spirit let loose upon swap meets secured his financial base. The West Side JCC in Los Angeles was Phil’s hangout when he was
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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – If the Shabbat services at your synagogue are not well attended, then you should ask five questions in reexamining how they are conducted, according to Rabbi Steven Wernick, chief executive officer of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Wernick served as scholar in residence Jan. 22-23 at
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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Rabbis are not supposed to do long term counseling. My teachers at the Seminary emphasized that rabbis are not trained to be long term counselors. If we cannot help a congregant after a few sessions, we are supposed to refer them to a professional. Most of the short
Emotional stress can cloud judgment Read More »
Jewish ReligionOne step can split your “sea”! By Rabbi Yaakov Marks SAN DIEGO — After witnessing unimaginable events and then being personally forced out of Egypt by Pharaoh and the rest of the Egyptians, the Jewish people are now standing on the shore of the sea. Burned into their memories are dramatic and earth-shattering images of
Weekly Torah portion: Beshalach Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — I know I’ve written before about Verdi’s Requiem, the role it played in my childhood and musical education in general, about the impression made on me when I read of its performance by prisoners in Theresienstadt and finally being privileged to attend a performance of the reconstruction of
Book of the Dead, Yom Kippur and Verdi’s Requiem Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsThe Practical Guide to the Laws of Kashrut by Rabbi Pinchas Cohen, Maggid Books, Jerusalem; ISBN 978-1-59264-434-6 ©2015, $17.95, p. 75, plus glossary and figures By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California–The Hebrew word kosher means “proper” or “fit,” and in the case of food, the term kosher refers to food that God says is
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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionIt’s Good Enough, Until It’s Not By Rabbi Yaakov Marks SAN DIEGO –The Egyptians were given ample opportunities to free the Jewish people. They seemed to understand that keeping the Jews as slaves was ethically wrong but their tremendous power and lust for wealth and luxury kept them from doing what was appropriate. Relinquishing the
Weekly Torah portion: Bo Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — I am currently team teaching the Ethics class of the Melton Jewish education program that Tifereth Israel Synagogue is sharing with Temple Emanu-El. Last week’s session was about lashon hara, slander, gossip, and tale bearing. Some Jewish authorities hold that you can’t say anything about anyone even if the information
Lashon Hara and the snarling dogs of ancient Egypt Read More »
Jewish Religion