By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — “What are you doing for Christmas?” people ask one another, naturally, often affectionately. (Let me quickly remonstrate that I not one of those Jews who is either offended by this kind question or by someone greeting or saying good-bye to me with the expression, “Merry Christmas!” Such an […]
On arriving in Israel at Christmas Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — In this week’s parsha we conclude the trilogy of the Joseph narrative; the biblical narrator was especially skilled in creating a sense of drama and suspense. To summarize, Joseph has created new circumstances to see whether his brothers’ attitude has really changed over the last 22
The rope, the bucket and the gun Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Yosef and all his brothers had a lot of conflict, but in the end, they were a family and truly loved one another, in addition to sharing a tremendous reverence for their father. Overcoming family friction and honoring parents makes everyone’s life better and richer as the following
The mother who showed off her ‘son the doctor’ Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Starting with Abraham’s expulsion of Ishmael, the Torah’s patriarchal stories reflect a multi-generational family in distress. Each generation transmits its dysfunction to the next, where it continues to do damage before propagating forward. Abraham expelled his son, Ishmael, in favor of Isaac, only to end up traumatizing him
Mass shootings indicate USA becoming more dysfunctional Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — I remember secretly praying, when I was a lad of ten years, for Santa Claus to mistake our home for a Christian household and slide down our chimney with presents. It was a serious and plaintive devotion; my good Catholic neighbors were going to have the reindeer adventure
Thoughts of a rabbi on the approach of Christmas Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — I often get asked, “What is the symbolism of the dreidel? What exactly is its origin?” The dreidel is a four cornered top that was popular in the medieval era and originally used for gambling. Jewish folklore purports that when the Syrians prohibited the study of
The symbolism of the dreidel Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO –There are two ways which our enemies seek to destroy us. The first is physical. The second spiritual. Purim is the annual celebration of our physical survival. Hanukkah is the annual celebration of our spiritual survival over the many who would have liked to destroy us through cultural assimilation.
Chanukah celebrates our spiritual survival Read More »
Jewish ReligionJoshua Eli Plaut, “A KOSHER CHRISTMAS: ’Tis the Season to Be Jewish” ISBN 0813553806; Publisher: Rutgers University Press, 2012. 207 pages. Rating: **** By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Many Jews I know have a profound feeling of ambivalence when it comes to Christmas season each year. There is a hidden anxiety
‘A Kosher Christmas’ tells of Jews and Dec. 25th Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK — My many years of teaching experience have taught me many lessons. One is that when students are encouraged to express their own ideas, they inevitably do so. Moreover, they do so with great creativity and originality. The class that I had been leading on the subject of
Torah sparks flying in many directions Read More »
Jewish ReligionSAN DIEGO (Press Release) — Chanukah is the Festival of Lights, but it is also the holiday commemorating the Jewish people standing up to an oppressive bully – for themselves, each other and what they believe in. This is exactly the message that San Diego’s Jewish teens want the world to see this Chanukah, so
A new Chanukah song… from San Diego NCSY Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Mary Soltz SCARSDALE, New York — I daresay how I came to be here tonight is a different story than most of our congregants’. On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Ned spoke of faith and asked if any of us had been moved by a fervor that would change our lives, a moment
A rebbitzin remembers the rabbi who converted her Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO — Dear Readers, I have received numerous questions related to Hanukkah. Most of these don’t have much to do with financial matters. However, I will do my best to give a financial take when possible! Dear Money Maven, I’m concerned about my kids playing dreidel and betting gelt. Am I
Money Maven: Solving tough Chanukah questions Read More »
Jewish Religion, Sheryl Rowling
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Historically, the holiday of Hanukkah is a relatively minor holiday when compared to holidays like Passover or Yom Kippur, or the Sabbath. Nevertheless, its significance should not be under-appreciated. I realize many Jews try to make more out of the Hanukkah holiday in order to make
Not the victory of military power, but that of spirit Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — Hanukkah, the little holiday that could, begins with the lighting of the first candle against the darkness tonight. Year after year, the assessments begin and the questions accumulate: Is Hanukkah the Jewish Christmas? Which one came first and how are they related? (Of course, the real inquiry every
The real Chanukah-Christmas connection Read More »
Jewish Religion