Judaism

By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO–A benevolent calendar coincidence, occurring every few years, brings us on Dec. 24 to the shared lighting of solstice calendars by both Christians and Jews. The solar and lunar calendar cycles have intertwined, and so this Christmas Eve will share the fifth night of Hanukkah, 5772. The circumstances should work

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Our sages taught that the entire point of lighting a Chanukah Menorah is pirsumei nisa, “to publicize the miracle of Chanukah.” To accomplish this they instructed that the Menorah be lit at dusk, the time people returned from work in ancient times, and placed outside the front door

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The ancient Near East has always been a good-old-boy’s club. Testosterum  was (and still is) always in the air and especially in religion and culture; women, especially, lived politically marginal lives. That part of the world has hardly changed. Just look in the Middle East today;

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — After Joseph is thrown into jail in Egypt he meets Pharaoh’s former cupbearer and baker. Each had offended his master. Their sleep was interrupted by disturbing dreams as they agonized over their fate Joseph noticed their torment and asked them: “Why do you appear downcast today?” They answered:

By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — When we light the menorah we instill the light of Yiddishkeit into the hearts of those outside and of those inside, as the following true story, heard from Yichel and Baila Lederman, illustrates: The German Invasion of Poland began on September 1, 1939. Jews fled from the city