Jewish Religion

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Nothing in Jewish life is easy. What could be complicated about a triangular shaped pastry with filling inside? Hamantaschen, the preferred perennial Purim treat, seem simple enough at face value. But a little research proves that this holiday delicacy has a vast and perplexing history. First of all,

By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK — Whenever I think of people I knew who dressed impeccably, I recall three of my favorite people. One was my maternal grandfather, a businessman who was firmly dedicated to religious observance, but who chose his clothing carefully and was proud of his collection of cufflinks, tie clips, and

 By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — It’s one thing to visit in a synagogue and talk with God about life and death, fate and fortune, mortality and miracles, cruelty and compassion. It’s another thing to share this conversation with a sweet old man who has experienced all of these things and could easily debate

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal  SAN DIEGO — The Chafetz Chaim was one of the greatest Jewish ethicists and moralists of all time. He took his name from the verse from the book of Psalms, chapter 34: “Who is the man who is eager for life; who desires years of good fortune? Guard your tongue from

By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — In 1991, on Shabbos Terumah, the soul of our three-month-old son Shlomo Moshe Lederman was returned to its Creator. His shocking death was due to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndorme), meaning that he was a perfectly healthy happy baby who suddenly and inexplicably died. The funeral was held

By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK–Scholars have long disagreed about what distinguishes human beings from the rest of the animal world. Some have argued that it is man’s intelligence and use of language that distinguishes him; hence the term Homo Sapiens. Others have maintained that it is the fact that he uses tools that

PALM BEACH, Florida (Press Release) … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has posthumously honored Varian Fry, an American journalist responsible for aiding thousands of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust, with the ADL Jan Karski Courage to Care Award The award was presented posthumously to Fry on February 8 during the League’s National Executive Committee Meeting in

LOS ANGELES (Press Release)–As the Jewish community on the West Coast grows ever stronger, the Reform Movement is expanding its focus on youth engagement there through large-scale youth programming and increased funding for URJ Camps and URJ Campaign for Youth Engagement initiatives. Nearly 900 Reform Jewish teens and more than 125 professionals and lay leaders

By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California –Pope John Paul II was the rock star; Pope Benedict XVI has been the rock. Hardly without flaws (as neither Moses nor King David were scarcely impeccable), the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger did the grunt work of the papacy after his predecessor’s warm and charming period of outreach and

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — In preparing this week’s D’var Torah I came upon a Chassidic story whose conclusion puzzled me: Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa used to ask: “What is the difference between a ‘lover of truth’ and a ‘hater of lies?’” A “hater of lies” hates everyone, because there no one