NEW YORK (Press Release)– The Orthodox Union has launched a new OU Kosher phone App to search the kosher status of all OU products year-round, including a product’s special Kosher for Passover status. The free App is available for download for iPhones, iPads, iPod Touch, and Androids. To download this App, simply select “OU Kosher” from the […]
Is it kosher? There’s an app for that Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Danny Bloom CHIAYI CITY, TAIWAN — If racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination, then faithism is the belief that belief in different gods or Gods justifies spiritualism discrimination in terms of who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, among other religious beliefs. In the
Is ‘faithism’ as dangerous as ‘racism’? Columnist seeks input Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –Had the Nazis not come to power in his native Germany, W. Gunther Plaut would have become a judge. But being barred from pursuing a legal career because he was a Jew, he dedicated himself to serving God and his people. That brought him to the Hebrew Union College in
Remembering Gunther Plaut Read More »
Jewish Religion
Birth and Rebirth Through Genesis: A Timeless Theological Conversation, Vol. 1: Genesis 1-3 by Rabbi Michael L. Samuel, Aeon Publishing, ISBN 978-1-4563-0171-3 ©2011, p. 495, including excursuses, bibliography, and index; $20.70. By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — The biblical narrator of the first three chapters of Genesis, whoever he may be: Moses at God’s direction,
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Emunah (faith) and Bitachon (trust) are two bedrocks of Judaism. We have emunah and bitachon in Hashem, our G-d. The difference between these two related concepts can be illustrated by a joke, told to me by my colleauge Rabbi Dovid Max, Community Torah Center of Bucks County, Richboro,
What’s the difference between faith and trust? Read More »
Jewish Religion
SAN DIEGO — Our chief license plate spotter, Melanie Rubin, saw these two license plates for titled grandparents. Dr. Bubbe evidently refers to a grandmother who has a doctorate, whereas HonZady, may well mean “honorable grandfather,” perhaps a holder of public office.
Jewish license plates~titled grandparents Read More »
Jewish Religion, Melanie Rubin
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the more interesting questions that is sometimes asked in modern anthropology is whether a group is a collection of individuals, or are they like a body with various members? Much of this has what to do with the issue of individual vs. corporate identity.
Have some Lubavitchers turned the late rebbe into an idol? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Leah R. Singer SAN DIEGO –When Dr. Frank Kretzer heard about the Congregation Beth Israel Torah Project, he knew this was the perfect opportunity to participate in an historic moment, honor his Jewish roots, and most importantly, create a lasting memory for his grandson. Dr. Kretzer, a 67-year-old doctor and teacher at Baylor College
A Torah dedication for baby Max’s bar mitzvah Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Whenever I teach theology I love to ask students: who played the voice of Moses in the Dreamworks movie, The Prince of Egypt? If no one knows I tell them: Moses was voiced by Val Kilmer. Then I ask them who played the voice of God? If no
Can we ever truly know God’s desires? Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO–“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, thou shalt not covet thy neighbors house, his field, his slave, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, and all that belongs to your neighbor” Chapter 14 of the Orchos Tzaddikim tells us that envy is the worst of sins – so severe,
Envy can lead to the violation of Ten Commandments Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Avraham Burg is an interesting personality. He challenges the religious sensibilities of the Orthodox and Jewish world. Burg is also a leader in the Israeli peace movement. He served two terms in the Israeli Knesset. Over the years, he has emerged as one of Israel’s most articulate
Noah was a worker not a philosopher Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
Among Righteous Men: A Tale of Vigilantes and Vindication in Hasidic Crown Heights, by Matthew Shaer. John Wiley Press, 2012. 243pp. By David Strom SAN DIEGO — On December 29, 2007, the Crown Heights Shomrim (Hebrew for guards) Rescue Patrol answered a call for help from the Lubavitcher yeshivah student dormitory at 749 Eastern Parkway,
Book probes schism in Lubavitch world over messiah’s identity Read More »
Jewish Religion
SAN DIEGO — Melanie Rubin is a collector of Jewish-interest license plate images. And she has found another two. “A Mensh” (for those who don’t know) is someone who is a good person, a humanitarian. And” OyImla8″ suggests someone with a great sense of humor who’s a little tardy. If you have a Jewish-interest license
Jewish-interest license plate Read More »
Jewish Religion, Melanie RubinBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — This week I wanted to write about Miriam, Moses’ and Aaron’s sister. The Torah records that after the Children of Israel crossed the Sea of Reeds in their escape from Pharaoh, “Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went
American Jews should speak and write against discrimination in Israel against women Read More »
Jewish Religion