By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –The Mishnah teaches that, “Anyone reading the Megillah backwards (or out of sequence) has not fulfilled his obligation” (BT. Megillah 17a).[1] Hassidic Scholars noted that one should never think that the miracles and the story of Purim are a relic of the ancient past. Rather its message continues […]
Opposites: Samuel Rosenman and Queen Esther Read More »
Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –During the Holocaust years, Purim celebrations were forbidden to the Jews. Christians and Jews could not even own the book of Esther. Such decrees did not stop the Nazis from poking fun at the Jews on this Jewish holiday. With diabolical glee, the Nazis frequently orchestrated special
Purim and the Nazi Julius Streicher Read More »
Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO–Are all jokes about Jews inherently anti-Semitic? I suppose to some extent that depends upon who is telling them. When Jews tell derogatory jokes about Jews, it is from the perspective of insiders poking fun at themselves. However, when a non-Jew tells the same joke it is offensive and racist.
Some Purim thoughts on anti- Semitism Read More »
Jewish Religion
GENEVA (Press Release)– The World Jewish Congress (WJC) on Wednesday called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to recognize as violations of religious freedom any bans or limitations on the right to practice Jewish and Muslim ritual slaughter of animals and male circumcision. “We call on the governments of all UN member states to
WJC seeks UN protection for shechita, brit milah Read More »
International, Jewish ReligionA LOOK BACK OVER MY SHOULDER (Second Edition March 2014) Editor’s Note: In 1936 Garry Fabian’s family fled Germany to Czechoslovakia, hoping to escape Nazi persecution, but in vain. By 1942 Garry, aged eight, was interned in Theresienstadt. He was to spend till May 1945 in that ‘model’ concentration camp and was one of
Memoir of a survivor of the Terezin ghetto Read More »
International, Jewish HistoryBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–The members of the Israeli government, whether secular or Orthodox, don’t seem to pay much attention to the Reform and Conservative (Progressive) movements in Israel. If these seek evidence of recognition, they normally only get it through the courts, and even then it takes the government a long time to obey
Progressive Jews face Israeli apathy, hostility Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East
By Josh Hasten/JNS.org In time for Purim 2014, popular Israeli-Canadian singer and composer Naftali Kalfa seeks to give everyday relevance to the Jewish holiday’s age-old story with his recently released single “Miracles.” Written by Kalfa, and recorded alongside well-known Israeli singer Gad Elbaz and Jewish reggae singer-songwriter Ari Lesser, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, “Miracles”
Canadian-Israeli a top exponent of Jewish music Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Binyamin Kagedan/JNS.org The names of religious holidays are usually fairly straightforward, pointing us to the central symbol or theme of the festival. Pesach refers to the ancient lamb offering, the korban pesach; Shavuot, meaning “weeks,” points to the careful counting of seven weeks that precede it; Sukkot are the booths that Jews inhabit
What is the name ‘Purim’ all about? Read More »
Jewish HistoryBy Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel –What’s significant about October, 1943? During that month the Danes carried out an unprecedented rescue of Jews from deportation to Nazi concentration camps. Werner Bachmann recently told a rapt audience at a recent Forgotten People Fund luncheon in Netanya, “I was meant to be one of those murdered by
Denmark’s once-proud history recalled Read More »
International, Jewish History, Steve Kramer
By Judy Lash Balint/JNS.org JERUSALEM– Israelis take Purim seriously—kids get the day off school, many towns put on a lively Purim parade, and the streets are filled with people of all ages running about in costumes, delivering mishloach manot baskets of prepared food goodies to their friends and neighbors before sitting down to the
Israeli poor get lots of attention at Purim Read More »
Jewish ReligionEAST LANSING, Michigan (Press Release)–Rabbi Ben Kamin’s new book Dangerous Friendship: Stanley Levison, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Kennedy Brothers will be available from Michigan State University Press this April and is available for sale through its website www.msupress.msu.edu and at fine bookstores. The product of long-concealed FBI surveillance documents, Dangerous Friendship chronicles a
Kamin’s book on King, Levison and Kennedys debuts Read More »
Jewish History, USA
By Cantor Sheldon Merel SAN DIEGO — I clearly remember the Seders I attended at the home of relatives during my Hebrew school days. I was proud to chant the “Ma Nishtana” and sing along in Hebrew. The group would sing the songs they knew, but talked most of the time. The conversation was not
Memories of seders past Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Loren Kantor STUDIO CITY, California –My paternal grandfather was a Torah scribe. He spent his days carefully drawing the Hebrew letters that made up the Torah, the most sacred of Jewish texts. Writing on thin parchment paper made from the skin of a kosher animal, he began by carefully marking thin pencil lines that
Tales of the Woodcutter: The Torah Scribe Read More »
Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
By Ozzie Nogg OMAHA, Nebraska — Pesach is coming, so make sure to kasher your water. In his coverage of the Middle East peace process, freelance journalist Andy Rowell writes, “As much as the conflict between Israel and Palestine is about religion and access to land, it is also about resources and who controls those
Should your water be kashered for Pesach? Read More »
Jewish Religion