By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Speaking on Tuesday night to introduce his forthcoming book, Not in God’s Name, Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi of modern Orthodoxy in Britain, argued that sibling rivalry is a fundamental cause of violence, also in religion. The Book of Genesis offers many telling instances – beginning with Cain’s […]
Sibling rivalry: why religious groups fight each other? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO –A Jewish young man was seeing a psychologist for an eating and sleeping disorder. “I am so obsessed with my mother… As soon as I go to sleep, I start dreaming, and everyone in my dream turns into my mother. I wake up in such a state, all
Part of being a good Jew is keeping your body healthy Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — Forty-eight years ago, June 7, 1967, the city of Jerusalem was reunified. It was the third day of Israel’s “lightning victory” in the Six Day War. Responding to Jordanian artillery, Israeli forces entered the Old City and fought bitter hand-to-hand battles en route to recapturing and reuniting the
Kotel reflections for Jerusalem Day Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the best-known blessings Orthodox Jews recite every day is the blessing, “Thank you God for not making me a woman.” The recent transformation on the cover of Vanity Fair’s 22-page cover story featuring Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce, raises a number of fascinating questions pertaining to
On which side of the Kotel would Caitlyn Jenner pray? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Parashat B’ha-alot’cha begins with the mitzvah of Aaron lighting the Menorah, the seven-branched lampstand which illuminated the Mishkan in the desert and later in the Jerusalem Temple: “The Lord spoke to Moses saying: Speak to Aaron and say to him, “When you mount the lamps, let the seven lamps
The ascent to Torah Read More »
Jewish ReligionChabad’s Secret: Inside the World’s Most Successful Jewish Organization by Chaim Dalfin, Jewish Enrichment Press, Brooklyn, NY; ISBN 978-0-9889580-7-4 ©2015, $35.00, p. 190, plus appendices, bibliography, glossary, and index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, universally known as the Baal Shem Tov, is considered the founder of Chassidism, when in
Book Review: ‘Chabad’s Secret’ Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — I am not a grammarian. In fact, while in Seminary I barely passed my Biblical grammar exam. However, I did find two interesting commentaries on a grammatical detail of this week’s parasha that I thought were worth sharing. “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelites:
Ethical lessons in a Torah portion’s grammar Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Sefer B’midbar (Numbers) details the experiences of the Israelites as they wandered through the desert. The book begins with a census, “Take a census of the whole Israelite community by the clans of its ancestral houses, listing the names, every male, head by head.” (Num. 1:2) God told
On our ancestors’ shoulders and own two feet Read More »
Jewish ReligionUnusual Bible Interpretations: Joshua by Israel Drazin, Gefen Publishing House, Jerusalem; ISBN 978-965-229-709-9 ©2015, $24.95, p. 174, plus references and index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — The Book of Joshua is part of a collection of biblical books, which include Deuteronomy, Judges, Samuel, Jeremiah, and Kings, called Deuteronomic history because these books are believed
Did Book of Joshua author really know Torah? Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — At the end of parashat B’har we find the following words: “You shall not make idols for yourselves, or set up for yourselves carved images or pillars, or place figured stones in your land to worship upon, for I the LORD am your God. You shall keep My
Shabbat and the prohibition of idol worship Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — What is the Jewish connection to this year’s Kentucky Derby? Choose your answer. A. The winning horse, American Pharaoh, is owned by Ahmed Zayat, a Coptic Christian from Egypt. Zayat, the CEO of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation in the 1980’s, was responsible for negotiating with Israel’s Energy
Jewish Trivia: Kentucky Derby Read More »
Jewish Religion, Mark D. Zimmerman, Middle East, Sports & Competitions, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — How important is Judaism for the Jews? We’ve long confused social science by being both an ethnic group (or tribe) and a religion. Among us are members of the tribe who deny religion, and converts to the religion who may have to wait a generation or two before being fully accepted
Ethnicity? Religion? Judaism is that — and more Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — On Tuesday during one of my Community Jewish High classes, we discussed the recent events in Baltimore in the context of Judaism’s attitude toward civil disobedience. We talked about Freddie Gray’s death while in police custody and the public response to it. While the line between non-violent and
Judaism favors non- violent protest Read More »
Jewish ReligionProphecies and Providence: A Biblical Approach to Modern Jewish History by Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer, Devorah Publishing, New York; ISBN 978-1-93444-059-9 ©2015, $24.95, p. 218, plus appendices By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Apocalyptic literature tells of the events that will occur at the end-of-days, such as Armageddon and the struggle between Gog and Magog. For fundamentalist Christians those
Rabbi helps decipher biblical prophecies Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion