By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — In my book, Unusual Bible Interpretations: Ruth, Esther, and Judith, I showed that Judith, in the apocrypha, the book Jewish ancestors decided not to include in the Bible, was more observant of Jewish practices than Ruth and Esther. The rabbis did not see this in this […]
Queen Esther inspired many midrashim Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish ReligionBy Caren Besner BOYNTON BEACH, Florida — Albert Einstein once observed, “If my theory of relativity is proven correct, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare that I am a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France will say that I am a German and Germany will declare
Anti- Semitism on the march globally Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, USAJewish organizations around the world condemn mosque massacres in New Zealand World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder has expressed horror and revulsion at the reports of multiple casualties following terrorist attacks on two mosques in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. Lauder said: “I would like to express my horror and revulsion at the
Editor’s E-Mail Box: March 15, 2019 Read More »
International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USAWitness: Lesson’s from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom by Ariel Burger, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York © 2018, ISBN 9781328802699, p. 264 plus notes, $26. By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California – Elie Wiesel (1928 – 2016), Holocaust survivor and Nobel Prize laureate, perhaps best known for his memoir Night, and arguably the most well-known Holocaust spokesman of
What Elie Wiesel taught his students Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish HistoryBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –An article in Friday’s Jerusalem Post Magazine, under the rubric, “Purim Oddities” called, “Psychiatric playfulness,” points to the Jewish tradition of levity and humor on Purim, the festival that tells the story of an impending disaster. The article informs us that “humor is the strategy in dealing with stressful situations.”
Some issues swirling around Israel’s upcoming election Read More »
Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM — I was privileged to attend a concert in a private home given by young musicians who are students at Jerusalem’s Hassadna Music Conservatory. Together with the rest of the audience, I was greatly impressed by their professional standard and aplomb. Some of the musicians were of Ethiopian background and displayed
Hassadna teaches music to all classes of Israelis Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsBy Sam Litvin TEL AVIV — It’s nine o’clock on Thursday night, the equivalent of a Friday night in the U.S. The weekend’s here and all are heading home or are with their kids, or out and about at bars. I’m with my fellow students, walking on wet walkways of our University. The skies are
A night of terror and questions in Tel Aviv Read More »
Middle East, Sam LitvinBy Rabbi Joshua Dorsch SAN DIEGO — This coming week, we will be celebrating the holiday of Purim. According to the the Jewish mystical work the Zohar, in the world to come, Purim will be one of only two holidays that is still celebrated – the other one is Yom Kippur. At first glance, it
The Zohar’s linkage of Purim and Yom Kippur Read More »
Jewish Religion“Always Something There to Remind Me” By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — This week I returned from several weeks of travel in Germany, Israel, and the United Kingdom. I was busy seeing old friends and giving lectures. I hoped my trip would be a respite from the anxiety and dismay that have plagued me since
Humoring the Headlines: March 14, 2019 Read More »
International, Lawrence Baron, Middle East, San Diego County, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
StandWithUs comes to aid of Kingsborough’s Michael Goldstein StandWithUs is alarmed to learn of a systematic, year-long anti-Semitic campaign against Michael Goldstein, an administrator and adjunct professor at Kingsborough Community College (“Kingsborough” or the “College”), part of the City University of New York (CUNY) school system. Goldstein has been the target of widespread harassment from
Editor’s E-Mail Box: March 14, 2019 (5 items) Read More »
International, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
By Halie Soifer WASHINGTON, DC — This week, President Trump continued his assault on decency and honesty in our political discourse by falsely claiming that American Jews are leaving the Democratic Party. He tweeted a quote from a new group called “Jexodus,” which is nothing more than a political front for Republicans aiming to chip away
OpEd: Jews are flocking TO the Democrats Read More »
Middle East, USA
By Barry Shaw NETANYA, Israel — Nancy Pelosi tried to offset the storm of criticism against new Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s succession of anti-Semitic remarks by claiming “I don’t think Ilhan Omar is Anti-Semitic. She has a different experience in her use of words, and she doesn’t understand that some of them are fraught with
OpEd: On Ilhan Omar’s ‘different experience’ Read More »
Barry Shaw, International, Middle East, USA