Judaism

AJC Denounces new outrages, remembers old ones

ROME (Press Release)—AJC (American Jewish Committee) has called for increased vigilance following grotesque manifestations of anti-Semitism in Rome during the Jewish Sabbath on January 25. A box with a pig’s head was delivered to Rome’s Grand Synagogue on Friday and similar packages were delivered on Saturday to the Israeli Embassy and to the Museum of […]

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Jewish History

Anti-Semitism prompts both assimiliation and aliyah

  JERUSALEM (Press Release)–“Despite what people might think, anti-Semitism does not strengthen our ties with Jews overseas” said Minister of Jerusalem & Diaspora affairs, Naftali Bennett, before presenting the annual report on the subject to the Israeli government in Jerusalem on Sunday, Jan. 26. “For every Jew who makes Aliya as a result of anti-Semitism,

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Jewish Religion

Book Review: ‘The Making of a Halachic Decision’

  Rabbi Moshe Walter,  The Making of a Halachic Decision. Menucha Publishers.ISBN: 1614650896. 231 pages, $24. Rating: 3* out of 5. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Any student of Jewish law has often wondered about the origin of the Halachic decision-making process.  True, the Talmud is full of arguments. If you

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

‘Camilla’s Purse’ new Shoah exhibit at Smithsonian

WASHINGTON, D.C  (Press Release) — The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will open a new exhibition, “Camilla’s Purse,” Jan. 24 in the Albert Small Documents Gallery. The exhibition examines the life of Holocaust survivor, Camilla Gottlieb, through a display of letters, official documents and personal possessions. The records, collected and secured by Gottlieb in a

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Jewish History, Jewish Religion

Understanding the Psalms as literature

A New Psalm: A Guide to Psalms as Literature by Rabbi Benjamin Segal; Gefen Publishing House (2013); ISBN-10: 965229618X; Price: $31.29 (on Amazon). By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Rabbi Benjamin Segal’s  new commentary, A New Psalm: The Psalms as Literature is an excellent medley of numerous thoughts that Judaic commentaries have expressed on the Psalms

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Widowed by the Nazis, she agreed to again shelter Jews

By Aryeh Savir JERUSALEM – Yad Vashem has  posthumously honored Maria Zurawska as Righteous Among the Nations from Poland. The medal and certificate of honor were accepted by her daughter Bronislawa Skoczylas who arrived from Poland to attend the ceremony. As told during the Jan. 16 ceremony, Zurawska’s story is one of self-sacrifice in the

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Jewish History

Book Review: ‘A Social History of Hebrew’

A Social History of Hebrew: Its Origins Through the Rabbinic Period by William M. Schniedewind; Yale University Press, New HavenISBN 978-0-300-167668-1 ©2013, $45.00, p. 261, including notes, bibliography, and index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California–William Schniedewind, UCLA professor of Mediterranean studies, Near Eastern languages, and the Bible, and author of A Social History of

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Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion