By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –The life of a spiritual leader is never easy—especially if you happen to be a man named Moses. Kvetching comes with the territory of working for a Jewish community. It’s a tradition. I am reminded of the old joke, “How many congregants does it take to screw […]
Torah’s stand against racism is relevant for today Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO– Judaism is a very democratic religion. Although Kohanim once had a special role in the Temple sacrificial rites, they never were the sole conduit to God. Then, as now, God was directly available to every Israelite. We learn this from the Biblical story of Eldad and Meidad. We learn
Judaism is a democratic religion Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — The Jews traveled through the desert on pure faith and trust in Hashem (G-d). The Divine Cloud protected and guided the Jews throughout their journey. They moved ahead when the Cloud moved and they encamped when the Cloud stopped. They never knew how long each encampment would
The story behind the disarmed bomb in Meah Shearim Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK –It was a lesson I learned long ago, when I was a high school classroom teacher. I was new at this line of work, and found that my greatest challenge was to find ways to motivate the students. I tried various approaches, which all were basically attempts to
Motivating others to give rather than to receive Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO–One of the critiques against fixed prayer (i.e., reading the same prayer book selections over and over) is that it can become boring and monotonous. How can one possibly pour out one’s heart before God by repeating the same words three times a day, seven days a week? Where is
Approaching fixed prayer with spirituality Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Almost 28 years ago, our youngest child was born. Due to our advanced age, we gave him the name Mattan. The English translation of mattan (מתן) is “gift.” Some time later, when in a US college book store, I happened on a Bible Dictionary, looked up the name, and found
The politics of religion and vice versa Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish ReligionThe Biblical Outlook: Topics in Jewish Philosophy by Rabbi Shlomo Polachek; Penina Press, Jerusalem, 2012; ISBN-10: 1936068273; 463 pages. $29.95. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The concept the author wishes to present is an important one. He wishes to show the various strands of biblical passages that can be used by a
Book on biblical philosophy needs better sources Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Hersh Tzvi Weinreb NEW YORK — I am sure that you have a most favorite activity. I know that I do. I am also sure that you have a least favorite activity, as I do. My most favorite activity is visiting Israel. One of the experiences I especially cherish during my visits
On giving–and receiving–the priestly blessing Read More »
Jewish Religion
Sacred Trash: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza by Adina Hoffman and Peter Cole; ISBN 978-0-8052-4258-4 ©2012, $26.95, p. 384, including notes Reviewed by Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — The word geniza, from the Hebrew root gimmel, nun, zion, means a hidden treasure, an appropriate name for a millennium’s worth of
‘Sacred Trash’ tells story of Cairo Geniza Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — On Shabbat we begin reading the book of B’midbar, Numbers in English. At the conclusion of Shabbat we celebrate Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks. According to rabbinic tradition, the Children of Israel received the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Torah from God on Shavuot, exactly fifty
New Jews join our people in spirit of Ruth Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — The generation that stood at Har Sinai was the greatest generation of all time. Their leader was the greatest leader of all time. This was not a coincidence. Hashem gives us leaders in proportion to the generation. The greater the generation, the greater the leader. Young Rabbi Yechezkel
How Rabbi Landau survived a test Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK — My first exposure to the study of the Bible was in the Yiddish language. We spoke only English at home, but almost all the teachers we had in the yeshiva I attended were Holocaust survivors who had escaped to the safety of these shores only a few
Good manners preceded the Torah Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — When one takes a gaze at the Jewish horizon, one gets the distinct impression that many synagogues find themselves confronted by a spiritual problem they can scarcely understand—much less articulate: Irrelevance. Judaism may someday die—not by genocides—but by apathy. Yes, as rabbis we love to sermonize
Recovering Jewish spirituality Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO– It was just another sermon on a Friday night at my beloved congregation of elders here in Southern California—though I regard every opportunity to preach and teach as an honor and a privilege. Who should ever presume the license to stand before people who have to come pray
Reflection on Germany leads to poignant moment Read More »
Jewish Religion