By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO–Most people agree that everyone has an obligation to give tzedaka. What they don’t agree on is how much money is an appropriate gift. When we hear, “give until it hurts,” we believe that our neighbors have a much lower pain threshold than ourselves. I am often envious of Mormons. […]
How much tzedakah should one give? Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — The book of Vayikra deals primarily with the offerings of the Mishkan (Temple). The offerings we bring, bring us closer to Hashem and bring atonement. The Chofetz Chaim wrote that when an inexplicable personal tragedy occurs, it is a kapara (atonement) for the Jewish people: In 1991, the
The infant’s funeral and the busdriver Read More »
Jewish ReligionNEW YORK (Press Release)– The Interfaith Coalition on Mosques (ICOM) has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a Muslim congregation in Georgia whose mosque expansion project was unlawfully blocked. The brief supports the contention of congregation Dar-e-Abbas that the city of Lilburn, Georgia affirmatively prevented the congregation from building a new house of worship, and
ADL backs Muslims in effort to build new mosque in Lilburn, Georgia Read More »
Jewish ReligionHAIFA (Press Release)–At the entrance to a flea market shop. On a train. Ecological. These are just three examples of numerous synagogues photographed and documented at the new “Synagogues and Congregations in Israel” exhibition currently on display at the University of Haifa. It is set to accompany the Third Israeli Conference on the Study of
Photo exhibit explores Israel’s diverse synagogues Read More »
Jewish Religion
The Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths That Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism by Tarek Fatah, McClelland & Stewart, Toronto; ISBN 978-0-7710-4783-1 ©2010, $24.95, p. 208 plus notes, bibliography, and index Reviewed by Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Like most people with an Internet account, I receive quite a few emails each day. Most
Muslim debunks some anti-Semitic myths in Islamic writings Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–So soon after attending Saturday morning services to attend the bat mitzvah of a friend’s daughter, here I was back again at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, causing some congregants’ eyebrows to raise. The Friday night crowd is different from the Saturday morning congregation, and more so on those evenings when Erev
Getting that Shabbat feeling … all over again Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — This week at minyan I pointed out that Conservative siddurim offer two alternative prayers before the morning’s first kaddish. The second selection contains the traditional text: “May it be Your will, Adonai our God and God of our ancestors, that the Temple be restored in our day, and
What about that prayer for restoring the Temple? Read More »
Jewish ReligionNEW YORK (Press Release) — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) welcomed as “an important and historic moment” the publication of a new book by Pope Benedict XVI that includes a sweeping exoneration of the Jewish people for the death of Jesus. Pope Benedict’s book, Jesus of Nazareth – Part II, excerpts of which were released on
ADL hails Pope Benedict XVI’s statement on death of Jesus Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Several years ago a stranger came to the synagogue office bearing gifts. She offered an old box filled with ten old Art Deco prints of Israel. I immediately fell in love with the stylized scenes of the Holy Land. When she said she wanted to donate them I
The high quality workmanship of Bezalel Read More »
Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — I had a teacher once who said that it is forbidden for Jews to eat treif (non-kosher food), but if you are going to eat treif, it should melt in your mouth! His words of wisdom came to mind as I reviewed this week’s parasha, Ki Tissa, which
Sinning is one thing, reveling in it is another Read More »
Jewish Religion
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)–Buzzing around the San Diego Jewish Film Festival, our inveterate license plate spotter, Melanie Rubin, found one that said, “Zvuv,” in transliterated Hebrew. That means “fly” — as in the insect — but we imagine this particular car is a lot less annoying to those who come near it. Of course, we’ve added
Jewish License Plate ~ Zvuv Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Since this week’s parasha begins with the commandment for the Israelites to manufacture pure olive oil for lighting ner tamid (more about this later), I turned to Google for more information. However, when I typed in “ner tamid” I did not at first find information about the Torah
Only the purest olive oil was fit for the Ner Tamid Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Baruch Lederman WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Kohain Gadol wore a pure gold headplate inscribed with the words “Kodesh L’Hashem.” “Holy to G-d.” We can learn from here that all our thoughts should be holy and pure. Changing our attitudes is easier said than done as the following true story from the Talmud illustrates:
Failing to change wrong attitudes can be painful Read More »
Jewish ReligionWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – A meaningful effort is underway to ensure that Jewish chaplains who perished while serving on active duty are no longer excluded from Chaplains Hill in Arlington National Cemetery. Representatives Anthony Weiner (D- New York) and Tom Rooney (R-Florida), along with Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York), have introduced a bipartisan congressional resolution
Legislation urges memorialization of Jewish chaplains at Arlington National Cemetery Read More »
Jewish Religion