NEW YORK (Press Release) – The Birthright Israel Foundation (BRIF), the organization that provides and builds the base of financial support for Taglit-Birthright Israel in North America, has tapped 14-year non-profit executive, Sarah Raful Whinston, as its first director of talent development. In her new role, Whinston will focus on recruitment and career development for […]
Whinston to develop Birthright talent Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) – The Jewish Federation of San Diego has provided a grant to the MidraShow (www.midrashow.com), a joint project of The Orthodox Union’s NextGen Department in San Diego, OUNext, to be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 10, at the Lyceum Theatre in San Diego. Prior to the performance hors d’oeuvres and a beer
Midrashim to be brought to stage March 10 Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego Calendar
CARLSBAD, California (Press Release) — The Jewish Collaborative of San Diego (JCoSD) has launched its multi-faceted Jewish education for children in K-5th grades. In addition to family Hebrew class held once a week, the JCo Kids’ Club is proving to be a new and innovative way to get families committed to Jewish community. “The JCo
JCoSD launches K-5 education program Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education
NEW YORK (Press Release)– America’s Reform rabbis are making a major effort to change worship to match the needs and desires of today’s Reform Jews. In alignment with trends highlighted by the recent Pew study on American Jews, Reform rabbis are creating a new High Holiday service that makes all prayers LGBT friendly, adds references to God as
Reform Machzor more LGBT friendly, gender neutral Read More »
Jewish Religion, USABy Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Before modern washing machines and driers were invented, washing laundry was a time-consuming activity; all the clothes had to be scrubbed by hand and then hung on the clothes line outside to dry. One day, a woman put out a temporary clothes line in the front of a
Holding one’s temper has its rewards Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Lee Bender JERUSALEM — The Mount of Olives (Har Hazeitim in Hebrew) in Jerusalem has been used as a Jewish cemetery for more than 3,000 years. Approximately 150,000 Jewish people are buried there including some of the greatest Jewish leaders, prophets, and rabbis of all time. Thus the Mount of Olives is by far
What’s at stake in battle for the Mount of Olives Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East
By Miriam Raftery East County Magazine SAN DIEGO’S EAST COUNTY (SDONA)—Last week, a young Jewish man was shot and killed outside a Copenhagen synagogue. In Paris, as many as 250 Jewish graves were desecrated. At the University of California in Davis, California earlier this month, swastikas were sprayed on a Jewish fraternity houseafter a demonstration by
The rising global tide of anti – Semitism Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Miriam Raftery, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Shirley MacLaine is a better actress than she is a philosopher or theologian. Jewish groups are justifiably upset with some comments she penned in her new memoir, “What If… A Lifetime of Questions, Speculations, Reasonable Guesses, and a Few Things I Know For Sure.” The quote that is
No Oscar for Shirley MacLaine’s theology Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — According to the Torah, Jews are forbidden to charge other Jews interest when they loan them money: “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, do not act toward them as a creditor: exact no interest from him.” (Ex. 22:24) In the Talmud the
Tzedakah is not only a material gift Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Jenn Lindsay ROME, Italy –I was recently asked to tell the story of my Jewish journey. I think of this journey in terms of steps: discovery, exploration, commitment, deepening, challenge, compromise, and simplicity. Until now I restrained myself from writing too explicitly about my Jewish journey because it has been a circuitous path, perhaps
Scholar of religion tells her Jewish journey Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal (Eulogy delivered Monday, Feb. 9, 2015 at El Camino Cemetery, San Diego) SAN DIEGO — According to legend a certain Aran, jealous of Ibn Gabriol’s genius and accomplishments, killed him in a fit of jealousy and buried his body secretly beneath a tree. The legend continues that sometime after, people began
Marc Allen Rose (1938-2015) Read More »
Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO– There is nothing physically imposing about Lou Dunst—a cherubic, dignified man with a sweet smile yet deep sorrowful eyes. At times, when he walks slowly by, it seems that a stiff wind could knock him down. But then you realize that not even the wind could do such a
The Nazis thought he’d never hold a Torah again Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, USA
By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO–There are entire libraries containing books written as commentaries on the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible). Many are difficult for the lay reader to access. Some are densely written in very small font, heavily notated and footnoted. Layout can be problematic; Bible verse and relevant commentary intersecting
Shall we judge a book by its author? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Rabbi Rafi Andrusier LA MESA, California — What is religion all about? We always hear of the fellow who found G-d while incarcerated. Was G-d “not found” while in the free world? (Had the inmate found G-d earlier, he may not be sitting in prison in the first place.) So is that truly the case;
Are God and religion crutches? Read More »
Jewish Religion