By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Last weekend Judy and I visited our son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons in Cincinnati. We had a great time. Before we returned home, I was faced with an interesting ethical dilemma. On Monday afternoon we ate lunch at Cincinnati’s beautiful Mayerson JCC. The JCC operates a kosher café. […]
Deep discounts for seniors: Tzedakah or Gemilut Chasadim? Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO–Jewish jokes tend to be insightful: A man was traveling through a town where an old friend of his lived. He decided to seek him out and pay him an impromtu visit. He asked someone, “Excuse me, I am looking for a friend of mine Mr. Schwartz. Do you know
Then there’s the one about the shul president … Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Somebody recently asked me, “Are Haredim changing the face of Traditional Judaism? Is the divide between the ultra-Orthodox and other denominations (Modern Orthodox, Conservative and Reform) too great to promote a better understanding and respect between each other?” This is a very important question. In the 19th
Gulf widens between Haredim and Modern Orthodox Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK– It is something I have noticed just about every election year, and I am always taken aback by it. This year was no different. Inevitably, the major candidates make their income tax reports public. Included in these reports are the contributions to charity that they have made during the
Those who fail to give charity display callousness Read More »
Jewish ReligionNEW YORK (Press Release)– The Orthodox Union has launched a new OU Kosher phone App to search the kosher status of all OU products year-round, including a product’s special Kosher for Passover status. The free App is available for download for iPhones, iPads, iPod Touch, and Androids. To download this App, simply select “OU Kosher” from the
Is it kosher? There’s an app for that Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Danny Bloom CHIAYI CITY, TAIWAN — If racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination, then faithism is the belief that belief in different gods or Gods justifies spiritualism discrimination in terms of who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, among other religious beliefs. In the
Is ‘faithism’ as dangerous as ‘racism’? Columnist seeks input Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –Had the Nazis not come to power in his native Germany, W. Gunther Plaut would have become a judge. But being barred from pursuing a legal career because he was a Jew, he dedicated himself to serving God and his people. That brought him to the Hebrew Union College in
Remembering Gunther Plaut Read More »
Jewish Religion
Birth and Rebirth Through Genesis: A Timeless Theological Conversation, Vol. 1: Genesis 1-3 by Rabbi Michael L. Samuel, Aeon Publishing, ISBN 978-1-4563-0171-3 ©2011, p. 495, including excursuses, bibliography, and index; $20.70. By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — The biblical narrator of the first three chapters of Genesis, whoever he may be: Moses at God’s direction,
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Emunah (faith) and Bitachon (trust) are two bedrocks of Judaism. We have emunah and bitachon in Hashem, our G-d. The difference between these two related concepts can be illustrated by a joke, told to me by my colleauge Rabbi Dovid Max, Community Torah Center of Bucks County, Richboro,
What’s the difference between faith and trust? Read More »
Jewish Religion
SAN DIEGO — Our chief license plate spotter, Melanie Rubin, saw these two license plates for titled grandparents. Dr. Bubbe evidently refers to a grandmother who has a doctorate, whereas HonZady, may well mean “honorable grandfather,” perhaps a holder of public office.
Jewish license plates~titled grandparents Read More »
Jewish Religion, Melanie RubinCompiled by San Diego Jewish World staff As the Psychologist Sees You Southwestern Jewish Press, November 15, 1956, Page 7 By Irving R. Stone, Psychological Consultant Mental Retardation– As this issue comes from the presses, and if we are the ordinary individuals who are exposed to the radio, television, billboards, and the newspapers, we shall
Adventures in San Diego Jewish History, Nov. 16, 1956, Part 5 Read More »
Adventures in SD History, Jewish History
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the more interesting questions that is sometimes asked in modern anthropology is whether a group is a collection of individuals, or are they like a body with various members? Much of this has what to do with the issue of individual vs. corporate identity.
Have some Lubavitchers turned the late rebbe into an idol? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiCompiled by San Diego Jewish World staff With The Guardians Southwestern Jewish Press, November 16, 1956, page 6 By Morrie Pomeranz Hi-Lites of the November 1st meeting — excellent turnout — enthusiastically presided over by prexy Sammy Addleson who is at his parliamentary best when the crowds are larger — guests included Norman Smith hosted
Adventures in San Diego Jewish History, November 16, 1956, Part 4 Read More »
Adventures in SD History, Jewish HistoryBy Leah R. Singer SAN DIEGO –When Dr. Frank Kretzer heard about the Congregation Beth Israel Torah Project, he knew this was the perfect opportunity to participate in an historic moment, honor his Jewish roots, and most importantly, create a lasting memory for his grandson. Dr. Kretzer, a 67-year-old doctor and teacher at Baylor College
A Torah dedication for baby Max’s bar mitzvah Read More »
Jewish Religion