By Deborah Fineblum/JNS.org Rather than feeling a sense of loss, leaving the second Passover seder behind in the U.S., or France, or Turkey, or any other country of origin is touted as a perk of living in Israel that new immigrants to the Jewish state (olim) mention in the same breath as the universal availability […]
See new moon over Israel, skip second seder Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education
By Deborah Fineblum/JNS.org Israel is a country that has spent more than six decades weaving the two formerly disparate basic branches of the Jewish family, Sephardim and Ashkenazim, into one people. These days, nary an eyebrow is raised as they hang out, date, and marry in the Jewish state, and most of their cultural differences
When Sephardim and Ashkenazim truly differ Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Michele Alperin/JNS.org As the intersection of family, Jewish memory, and the passions of contemporary politics and society, the Passover seder is said to be the most celebrated annual Jewish event in the United States. But it is not always easy to make all seder attendees feel the Haggadah’s mandate that in every generation, each
Some tips for making the seder memorable Read More »
Jewish ReligionDETROIT (Press Release) — A survey of Detroit area Jews and Muslims reveals high levels of interest to learn more about the other, find ways to experience each community’s practices and customs, and engage in joint activities. “Both groups express willingness to engage with each other,” concludes the survey, Building a Shared Future: Understanding the
Detroit Muslims and Jews desire friendship Read More »
Jewish Religion, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California —The Jerusalem Post featured an unusual article about the Chief Rabbi of Holon Rabbi Avraham Yosef, the son of the late Sefardic-Haredi leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. His son sits on the Israel Chief Rabbinate’s council and commands considerable influence in Orthodox politics in Israel and abroad. In
Rabbi Yosef’s opinion on plagiarism is mistaken Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — On the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nisan, the beginning of the Jewish month of Nisan, we read a special maftir portion of the Torah. We even give this Shabbat a special name. We call it Shabbat Ha-Chodesh based on the first important words of the special maftir: Ha-Chodesh
Which New Year is it, anyway? Read More »
Jewish ReligionTorah, Chazal, and Science By Rabbi Moshe Meiselman, Israel Bookshop, Lakewood, NJ ISBN 978-1-60091-243-6 ©2013, $36.95, p. 887, including appendices, bibliographical notes, and index Reviewed by Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California –What does it mean to know something? If you didn’t give an immediate answer, then how do you know that you know if you
Book review: ‘Torah, Chazal and Science’ Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionNEW YORK (Press Release) – The heads of Jewish and Christian organizations and denominations met in an unprecedented summit in New York City on Thursday, March 26, to discuss strategies to strengthen and maintain relationships even in the face of significant disagreements. The gathering to discuss relationships and how we treat each other was the first to
Christians, Jews meet in summit Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — Allan Finkelstein, who has spent his entire career working to strengthen Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) and the role that they play in American Jewish life, will retire from leading the Jewish Community Centers Association of North America, where he has served as president and CEO since 1994. His retirement is effective
Allan Finkelstein to retire from JCCA Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)–A unique prayer book commissioned by the JWB Jewish Chaplains Council will be first used at Shabbat services on Friday and Saturday, March 28-29 during the JCC Association Biennial in San Diego. It is the first time since World War II that a siddur (Hebrew for prayer book) has been created expressly
New siddur for military to debut at JCCA Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County
CHICAGO (Press Release)–The world’s Reform rabbis will convene in Chicago Sunday, March 30, through Wednesday, April 2, 2014, for the 125th Convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR). The CCAR is the representative organization of nearly 2,000 Reform rabbis, the world’s largest group of Jewish clergy. Over 570 registrants will gather to consider
Reform rabbis to convene in Chicago March 30 Read More »
Jewish Religion, USAPARIS (Press Release) — AJC is appalled by the violent assault on a Jewish teacher in Paris. The man, who was wearing a kippah, was brutally beaten after he left a kosher restaurant on Thursday evening. The assailants broke his nose, drew a swastika on his chest and reportedly shouted anti-Semitic epithets in French and Arabic.
AJC deplores brutal beating of French Jew Read More »
International, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — This question is based on a question posed to the “Ethicist” column in the New York Times Sunday Magazine. My colleague at work spends most of his time posting to the website, Reddit. He could be posting information about his boss or work environment that could
Employees surfing unrelated Internet sites are stealing Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Sean Savage/JNS.org In a throwback to the golden age of cinema, Hollywood has declared 2014 the “Year of the Bible.” From Ridley Scott’s Exodus starring Christian Bale as Moses, to Russell Crowe playing Noah, Hollywood is gambling on new innovations in technology and star power to revisit some of the most popular stories
Hollywood rediscovers the Bible Read More »
Jewish Religion