By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –As we read about the various permitted and forbidden animals in this week’s Torah portion of Shemini, I found myself remembering some thoughts I once penned about this particular subject. Several years ago, I came across an interesting story, worthy of a Sherlock Holmes tale. Actually to
In defense of non-kosher animals Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
It’s going to be a busy weekend for Donald Trump. Just ahead of what’s expected to be a close Republican primary in Wisconsin, Trump’s newborn Jewish grandson is to be circumcised. The GOP frontrunner anticipated Theodore James Kushner’s arrival in his speech to AIPAC last week, announcing: “My daughter, Ivanka, is about to have a
What role for Trump in grandson’s brit milah? Read More »
Jewish Religion, USABy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Parashat Sh’mini is one of the primary sources for Kashrut, the Jewish dietary laws, in the Torah. Specifically, Sh’mini contains the specifications for Kosher and non-Kosher mammals and seafood and lists of Kosher and non-Kosher birds. The underlying reason for the laws of Kashrut is often misunderstood. People
Kosher laws should lessen not increase one’s arrogance Read More »
Jewish ReligionPlease Don’t Eat the Marshmallow! By Rabbi Yaakov Marks SAN DIEGO — The Torah lists the specifications for the living creatures which, according to the laws of kashrut, a person may or may not eat. Mammals must have split hooves and chew its cud. Fish need to have both fins and scales. The non-kosher birds
Weekly Torah portion: Sh’mini Read More »
Jewish Religion
Nobel Prize winning author of Fateless BUDAPEST (JNS.org)– Hungarian writer Imre Kertesz, a Holocaust survivor who won the the 2002 Nobel Prize in Literature for his fiction work, died on Thursday in Budapest at age 86 after a long battle with illness, the Magveto Kiado publishing firm said. Kertesz was deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp
Imre Kertesz, 1929-2016 Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Obituaries & memorialsBy Joe Spier CALGARY, Alberta, Canada — Isidor Straus was born in Otterberg, Bavaria in 1845 and his brother Nathan in 1848. They were the sons of Lazarus Straus, an observant Jew. Lazarus emigrated to the U.S. in 1852, settling in Talbotton, Georgia where he started out as a pushcart peddler and then established a general
The Straus brothers made and donated fortunes Read More »
Jewish History
NEW YORK (WJC) –The world’s leading press agency, the ‘Associated Press’ (AP), willingly collaborated with Germany from 1935 to 1941 to disseminate Nazi propaganda photos in the United States and agreed to provide pictures for Nazi publications, including anti-Semitic SS manuals, a researcher reports. The Associated Press released a statement Wednesday rejecting the allegations. In an article for the German
AP rejects report that it cooperated with Nazis Read More »
International, Jewish History
LOS ANGELES (JNS.org) — Jewish actor and comedian Garry Shandling died Thursday at the age of 66, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said. Shandling is best known for working on the cable television comedy show “The Larry Sanders Show,” which aired from 1992-98. He began his entertainment career by writing for sitcoms such
Gary Shandling, 1949-2016 Read More »
Obituaries & memorials, Theatre, Film & BroadcastRabbi Yaakov Marks SAN DIEGO — Have you ever been in a situation where there seemed to be no positive ending and maybe things got even worse than you thought they could and then your “luck” changed and you have this sense of liberty and you wanted to scream out thank you!? The Talmud brings four
Weekly Torah portion: Tzav Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — A commentary on a verse from this week’s parasha reminds me of how synagogues often conduct their budgeting process. In parashat Tzav we read: “And the flesh of his thanksgiving sacrifice of well-being shall be eaten on the day that it is offered; none of it shall be
Faith vs. reality in the budgeting process Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Arkady Mamaysky TARRYTOWN, New York — The word “soul” is repeated in many different situations by the adherents of various religions. But God has not given us the capacity to fully understand what a soul is. Most religious people believe that humans are not just physical and biological creatures. What makes us love or
Some reflections on the soul Read More »
Arkady Mamaysky, Jewish Religion
Story by Donald H. Harrison; Photos by Shor Masori SAN DIEGO – They fractured the lyrics of numerous popular American songs, and twisted the tale in the Book of Esther to fit those lyrics, but nobody objected. In fact, the audience loved it. It was the annual Purimshpiel on Wednesday evening, March 23, at
Annual shpiel twists plot, lyrics in Purim fun Read More »
David Ogul, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Shor M. Masori
God and Politics in Esther, 2nd Edition, by Yoram Hazony; Cambridge University Press; (2015); ISBN-10: 1107583454; $18.27 on Amazon. Rating ***** out of 5 Stars. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Yoram Hazony’s exposition of the Book of Esther is priceless. In my Judaism 101 class, everyone read a little bit from God
God needs worthy people as partners for His miracles Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Donald H. Harrison LAFAYETTE, California – It has been a quarter century since Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz came to this Northern California community after serving as a rabbi in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But the soon-to-retire senior rabbi of Temple Isaiah has remained intimately involved in Latin America as a
Anachnu: Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion