HAIFA (Press Release)–At the entrance to a flea market shop. On a train. Ecological. These are just three examples of numerous synagogues photographed and documented at the new “Synagogues and Congregations in Israel” exhibition currently on display at the University of Haifa. It is set to accompany the Third Israeli Conference on the Study of […]
Photo exhibit explores Israel’s diverse synagogues Read More »
Jewish Religion
The Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths That Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism by Tarek Fatah, McClelland & Stewart, Toronto; ISBN 978-0-7710-4783-1 ©2010, $24.95, p. 208 plus notes, bibliography, and index Reviewed by Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Like most people with an Internet account, I receive quite a few emails each day. Most
Muslim debunks some anti-Semitic myths in Islamic writings Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–So soon after attending Saturday morning services to attend the bat mitzvah of a friend’s daughter, here I was back again at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, causing some congregants’ eyebrows to raise. The Friday night crowd is different from the Saturday morning congregation, and more so on those evenings when Erev
Getting that Shabbat feeling … all over again Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — This week at minyan I pointed out that Conservative siddurim offer two alternative prayers before the morning’s first kaddish. The second selection contains the traditional text: “May it be Your will, Adonai our God and God of our ancestors, that the Temple be restored in our day, and
What about that prayer for restoring the Temple? Read More »
Jewish ReligionNEW YORK (Press Release) — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) welcomed as “an important and historic moment” the publication of a new book by Pope Benedict XVI that includes a sweeping exoneration of the Jewish people for the death of Jesus. Pope Benedict’s book, Jesus of Nazareth – Part II, excerpts of which were released on
ADL hails Pope Benedict XVI’s statement on death of Jesus Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Several years ago a stranger came to the synagogue office bearing gifts. She offered an old box filled with ten old Art Deco prints of Israel. I immediately fell in love with the stylized scenes of the Holy Land. When she said she wanted to donate them I
The high quality workmanship of Bezalel Read More »
Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — I had a teacher once who said that it is forbidden for Jews to eat treif (non-kosher food), but if you are going to eat treif, it should melt in your mouth! His words of wisdom came to mind as I reviewed this week’s parasha, Ki Tissa, which
Sinning is one thing, reveling in it is another Read More »
Jewish Religion
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)–Buzzing around the San Diego Jewish Film Festival, our inveterate license plate spotter, Melanie Rubin, found one that said, “Zvuv,” in transliterated Hebrew. That means “fly” — as in the insect — but we imagine this particular car is a lot less annoying to those who come near it. Of course, we’ve added
Jewish License Plate ~ Zvuv Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Since this week’s parasha begins with the commandment for the Israelites to manufacture pure olive oil for lighting ner tamid (more about this later), I turned to Google for more information. However, when I typed in “ner tamid” I did not at first find information about the Torah
Only the purest olive oil was fit for the Ner Tamid Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Kohain Gadol wore a pure gold headplate inscribed with the words “Kodesh L’Hashem.” “Holy to G-d.” We can learn from here that all our thoughts should be holy and pure. Changing our attitudes is easier said than done as the following true story from the Talmud illustrates:
Failing to change wrong attitudes can be painful Read More »
Jewish ReligionWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – A meaningful effort is underway to ensure that Jewish chaplains who perished while serving on active duty are no longer excluded from Chaplains Hill in Arlington National Cemetery. Representatives Anthony Weiner (D- New York) and Tom Rooney (R-Florida), along with Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York), have introduced a bipartisan congressional resolution
Legislation urges memorialization of Jewish chaplains at Arlington National Cemetery Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel–Despite claims to the contrary, Israel is a secular country. There is, however, a modicum of truth in the assertion that the stream of Judaism defined as orthodox exerts undue influence, both political and social, over various aspects of life in Israel. Notwithstanding, the majority of Israelis remain doggedly secular,
Paradoxical as it sounds, the majority of this Jewish country is secular Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO–This semester I am teaching the senior class at our new Community Jewish High School. There are only five students in the class but they are all exceptionally bright and Jewishly committed. We have been using a new book from a new series entitled, Jewish Choices, Jewish Voices, edited by Rabbi
Should we blame the credit card company or the naive youth who ran up debt? Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Dow MarmurJERUSALEM– In order to describe the differences within Orthodoxy we often use adjectives: “modern” for those who seek to combine Torah with derech erets (the way of the world); “national” for many of the settlers; and, of course, “ultra” for haredim. But we can’t count all haredim as one group either. There’re, for
MK Anselem advocates new face for Orthodoxy Read More »
Jewish Religion