By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — On June 26th, 2012, the District Court of the Federal State of Cologne ruled that ritual circumcision for children as required by the parents, constitutes an infliction of bodily harm to the child, and is therefore—a criminal offense. Fortunately, the Federal Constitutional Court shortly afterward overruled […]
The danger of metsita b’peh Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — As a rite of passage, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah marks the beginning of a young person’s adult participation in the Jewish community. However, in many congregations across the religious divide, the Bar and Bat Mitzvah day has become a graduation from Judaism. When I think about the
Bar mitzvah dedicates himself to aiding the autistic Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — There is a story that I have told many times based on a verse in parashat B’har: “But the land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with me.” This verse teaches us that humans do not own the
This land ain’t your land… Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK — It is a word that one hears frequently these days, in many contexts. The word is “process.” It is a word that reflects our growing recognition that there are very few things in this world that occur in an instant, yesh me’ayin, something out of nothing.
The process of sinning Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Michael Kaufman Dear Mr. Harrison: Thank you for your kind words about my book, In One Era, Out the Other – A Memoir of a 20th-21st Century Jewish Life, (3/23/13) and your “enthusiastically recommend[ing]” the book. No less gratifying is your finding in the last chapter the “qualities we should attempt to inculcate in ourselves
Letter: Orthodox author decries intermarriage Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Anav Silverman MERON, Israel — Over 200,000 people gathered Sunday, April 28, in the tiny northern town of Meron to commemorate the Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer, which marks the anniversary of the passing of the great mystic Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, and the Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans. Police expected up to 400,000
Tsunami of Lag B’Omer prayers at Rashbi’s tomb Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — My parents did not do everything right (nor have I) but I do remember the basic values of human dignity and the work ethic that they brought with them when we emigrated from Israel in 1962. This morning, at a car wash, I saw a thin Mexican man,
Trading tips: one in currency, the other about faith Read More »
Jewish Religion
By David Ogul SAN DIEGO — I recently spent several days in rural Maryland with a group of men and women from around the country who are doing what they can to save Judaism. The facts are startling. While barely more than 1 of every 10 Jews who got hitched before 1970 was in an
Jews reach out to intermarried families Read More »
David Ogul, Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO–One morning the revered Rosh Yeshivah, Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky, zt”l, was about to enter Mesivta Torah Vodaath, when a teenager sprinted forward to open the door for him. The boy was holding his own Tefillin while also holding the door open for him to enter. Rav Yaakov stopped at the
Who goes through the synagogue door first? Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — The Torah says in parashat Emor: “You shall have one standard for the stranger and citizen alike: for I the Lord am your God.” As I hope you know, I think hachnasat orchim, welcoming visitors, is one of the most important mitzvot that members of a congregation can
Tifereth Israel to host Ron Wolfson for weekend Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Recently I came across an interesting but unusual halachic question: Can a Jewish pimp receive an Aliya on Shabbat? The original questioned pertained to a pimp who was the only Levite in his community. The question came to the attention of the famous Iraqi Sephardic Rabbi
Jewish institutions must take stands against sex trafficking Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Garry Fabian CAPE TOWN, South Africa — While the Jewish population in South Africa has diminished over the last decade as many have emigrated to the US, Australia, Israel and other parts of the world, there is still a substantial number living in the country. We recently spent a week in Cape Town, where
A tourist’s impressions of Jewish Cape Town Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Travel and FoodEchoes of Eden: Sefer Vayikra by Rabbi Ari Kahn; Jerusalem: Gefen Publishing House, 2013; ISBN-10: 9652295922, 256 pages; $20.95 By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Rabbi Ari Kahn is one of the most imaginative scholars I have encountered in the Orthodox world. His new commentary on the Book of Leviticus is yet
Rabbi Kahn illuminates mysteries of Leviticus Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK –The custom is fairly prevalent nowadays, but it was not a common practice thirty years ago when my friend raised his sons. He would seek out especially pious rabbis, generally quite elderly ones, to request that they bless his children. In keeping with tradition, these rabbis would place
Blessing for a boy to grow up like other boys Read More »
Jewish Religion