By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — “I don’t believe in religion, I believe in science,” is an oft-repeated refrain from those who like to argue with rabbis. Their statement presupposes that there is a conflict between the two. They are surprised when I tell them that I believe in both. Religion and science each […]
God and the Big Bang Read More »
Jewish Religion
Rabbi Shiloh Ben-David, Shalom Aleichem: A Collection of Halachos, Aggados, and Anecdotes about Greeting People; ISBN-13: 978-9657599136; 217 pages; Publisher: Self-Published; Price: $23.95. Rating: 2.5 * out of four. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The 20th century Orthodox scholar and philanthropist Irving Bunim, in his monumental study on makes a profound observation about
What halacha says about greeting people Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
Hats in the Ring: Choosing Britain’s Chief Rabbis from Adler to Sacks by Meir Persoff, Academic Studies Press, Boston; ISBN 978-1-61811-269-9 ©2013, $24.95, p. 337, including index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — The position of a chief rabbi, which originally had such titles as Resh Galuta, Exilarch, and Gaon, has a long history.
Inside Britain’s chief rabbinate Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionRabbi Menachem Genack, In Letters to President Clinton: Biblical Lessons on Faith and Leadership Sterling Ethos/OU Press, New York, 2013. 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-4549-0791-6. Price: $24.95 By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — President Bill Clinton is in many ways one of the most iconic and beloved presidents of recent history. His congenial manner
Rabbinic letters to Clinton prove grist for sermons Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–Skot Golden-Needham shyly approached the aron kodesh on Sunday, Dec. 8, with his kindergarten teacher Lori Bunshaft. Then, turning around, he displayed the model aron kodesh that he made and Mora Lori showed another one fashioned by one of his classmates. It was hard to tell what was brighter,
The arts and the teaching of religion Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Devarim hayotze min halev nichnasim lalev. Attitudes affect and infect others for good and for bad, both consciously and subconsciously, as the following true story illustrates: A man and his elderly father once fell into a dispute. They were very poor and lived in a shack with no
Behavior can be contagious Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — On Tuesday I had one of my Community Jewish High classes participate in a provocative discussion. We began by reading the first chapter of the Joseph story from the Torah. In Genesis 28 we learn that Joseph “tattled” on his brothers, shared with them his dreams of one
Judah taught us how to reconcile Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Ben Cohen/JNS.org In the coming days, there will be much reflection on the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, following the former South African president’s passing on Dec. 5. And in the coming weeks, we can anticipate a febrile exchange over his true views on Israel and the Middle East. We shouldn’t underestimate the
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Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the famous and most important questions asked about Hanukkah reads: What is Hanukkah? [i.e., “Why do we celebrate Hanukkah?”]. The question strikes a modern reader as odd. Surely, the Jews must have known about the holiday’s significance for several centuries! On the surface, one
What historic sources say about Chanukah Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Donald H. Harrison CHULA VISTA, California — Temple Beth Shalom celebrated the fifth night of Chanukah Dec. 1 in both ancient and modern style. “Chanukah” is a Hebrew word meaning “dedication” as when the Maccabees rededicated the ancient Temple in Jerusalem in 167 BCE after it had been defiled by the Syrian
Rapping through Chanukah Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego CountyBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — I often get asked the questions, “What is the symbolism of the dreidel? What exactly is its origin?” The dreidel is a four cornered top that was popular in the medieval era and originally used for gambling. Jewish folklore purports that when the Syrians prohibited the
Symbolism of the dreidel and other Chanukah lore Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — The good-natured jostling about the uncommon calendar convergence this fall of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving leaves one with the taste of emotional leftovers. The Festival of Lights deserves more than being hyphenated every year with another holiday. Its themes and narrative are more powerful and redemptive than the commercial
Chanukah is not about turkey or tinsel Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO–On Wednesday evening I was among 1,000 Jewish men who were privileged to hear former Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, speak at the annual UJF Men’s Event. Among other comments, Ambassador Oren said that today there are two great centers of Jewish life: Israel and North America.
Israel and the Diaspora: Jewish concepts are changing Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — In his Torahmusings, R. Gill Student cites an endorsement of R. Steinsaltz’s translation from R. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb. His comments are especially important for anyone interested in the science of translation as it pertains to the translation of the Talmud: Every translation is to some extent a
Two digital versions of the Talmud compete Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi