By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK — Although many of his adherents deny it, he definitely had an anti-Semitic streak and was at least, for a time, sympathetic to the Nazi cause. Yet he was one of the major psychological theorists of the 20th century, and I personally have found his insights into the […]
Holidays for the introverts and extroverts among us Read More »
Jewish Religion
SAN DIEGO — Sandi Masori spotted this license plate with its Hebrew word for “move.” And that, of course, is what we want all our cars to be able to do.
Jewish-interest license plate: Lazuz Read More »
Jewish Religion
Society and Self: On the Writings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, by Gerald J.(Ya’akov) Blidstein. OU Press, 2012, 155 pages, ISBN-10: 1602802041, U.S. cover price: $25.00 By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Gerald J. Blidstein’s Society and Self: On the Writings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik is an excellent introduction to the
Book explores the intellect of Rav. Joseph Solveitchik Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Sefirah reminds us to elevate ourselves each day. Sometimes we stumble and fall down. At those times it is more important than ever to elevate ourselves, brush ourselves off and carry on. Rabbi Aryeh Leib HaCohen Heller was appointed Rav of Rosiantov at a very young age. In
From humble surroundings came great scholarship Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK– It was a year when the holidays fell on the same days of the week as they do this year. The first day of Passover was on a Saturday, a Shabbat, so that Shavuot fell on a Sunday. Saturday night was the beginning of Shavuot. That calendar quirk
How we can distinguish among levels of holiness Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — As a child, I used to love reading the golem stories attributed to Rabbi Judah Lowe, a.k.a., the famous “Maharal of Prague” (1525-1609). Since my father came from Czechoslovakia, I grew up hearing many family tales about the golem. These stories were especially delightful since my
May a golem count towards a minyan? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — While I am not a political junkie, from time to time I do watch the candidates debate. They are often unintentionally entertaining. One of my favorite exchanges took place during the Republican primary debate on January 26, 2012 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was an exchange between
The perils of lashon hara Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO –Twenty four thousand talmidim (students) of Rebbi Akiva perished in a horrible plague. These were the best and the brightest. It was a devastating blow to the leadership, to the entire existance of Klal Yisroel. Hashem in His infinite mercy enabled our nation to rebuild after this tragedy. Torah
Power of Torah Judaism demonstrated at Dachau Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK — He was a character straight out of the novels of Charles Dickens. Scholars have long found Dickens’ attitude toward Jews problematic. The character Fagin in the novel Oliver Twist is certainly a negative stereotype. But many are unaware of the character named Riah in Dickens’ last completed
Lessons that peddlers have taught to rabbis Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Haredim and archaeologists in the Holy Land have never been especially fond of each other. Traditionally, they are a little bit like meat and milk. By themselves, each is fine. However, when they get together, they create a combustive chemistry. Whenever an archeological excavation takes place,
Haredim grapple with archaelogy and other sciences Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By J. Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida –Jews come in many shapes and colors. One of the strangest is the Karaites, founded in the 7th century by a charismatic Jew named Anan Ben David. He totally rejected the holiness of the Talmud and strictly obeyed only the 613 mitzvot found in the Torah. The Karaite
The mysteries of the Cairo codex Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California —In this week’s parsha we read about the death of Aaron’s two sons, who died from an accidental explosion in the Tabernacle. Aaron’s reaction is quite telling–despite the absence of scriptural detail from the narrator. As is often the case with biblical narrative, more is said by
Sometimes God’s seeming indifference shocks us to silence Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
The Essential Guide to Jewish Prayer and Practices by Andrea Lieber; ISBN 978-1-61564-138-3 ©2012, $16.95, p. 316, including appendices and index Jewish Liturgy and its Development by A. Z. Idelsohn; ISBN 978-0-486-28648-8 2012 reprint by Dover Publications, Inc., New York of ©1931, p. 404, including appendices, notes, and index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California
Two guides explain Jewish worship services Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — On Tuesday night I shared a fascinating lesson plan from Yad Vashem (Israel’s Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority) with my Community Jewish High students. The lesson juxtaposed two reports from a transport that carried Jews from Dusseldorf, Germany to Riga, Latvia that left on December 11, 1941.
Let’s be the ‘village’ that supports Israel locally Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East