Spirituality/Tradition
A New Purpose for the Lulav and Etrog
JNS.org - Another High Holidays season is upon us, which means Sukkot is right around the corner. In no time you'll be ordering your...
Artwork Can Help Heal the Jewish-Christian Divide
From its very beginnings, Christianity sought separation from Judaism. No small task since Christianity arose from Jewish prophesies and a connection to the Jewish Davidic line, which, according to the Torah, would produce the Messiah. Adding...
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach on Rwanda and Syria (INTERVIEW)
JNS.org - Known as "America's rabbi," Shmuley Boteach has lived an unconventional life for an Orthodox rabbi—from running for the U.S. Congress, to authoring several bestselling books, to hosting TV shows, to serving as...
Sukkot and Squash Make a Lovely Fall Meal
JNS.org - Sukkot is the early Thanksgiving, that perfect season when we might still have access to late tomatoes and zucchini, but the winter squash is coming in as well, heralding the impending chillier autumn. While...
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) Guide for the Perplexed, 2013
1. The U.S. covenant with the Jewish State dates back to Columbus Day, which is always...
Ahead of Sukkot, Etrog Smugglers Attract Israel Tax Authority Attention
Ahead of the start of the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot on Wednesday night, smugglers...
Balancing Humility and Pride
Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa famously said: "Every person should have two pockets. In one pocket...
Did Sukkot Shape Thanksgiving?
JNS.org - Did Sukkot help shape America's Thanksgiving? According to one of the foremost experts...
Will Syria be Obama’s Rwanda?
When I visited Rwanda last month, I was preceded by President Clinton who arrived the...
A New Purpose for the Lulav and Etrog
JNS.org - Another High Holidays season is upon us, which means Sukkot is right around the corner. In no time you'll be ordering your annual...
Artwork Can Help Heal the Jewish-Christian Divide
From its very beginnings, Christianity sought separation from Judaism. No small task since Christianity arose from Jewish prophesies and a connection to the Jewish Davidic...
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach on Rwanda and Syria (INTERVIEW)
JNS.org - Known as "America's rabbi," Shmuley Boteach has lived an unconventional life for an Orthodox rabbi—from running for the U.S. Congress, to authoring...
Sukkot and Squash Make a Lovely Fall Meal
JNS.org - Sukkot is the early Thanksgiving, that perfect season when we might still have access to late tomatoes and zucchini, but the winter squash...
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) Guide for the Perplexed, 2013
1. The U.S. covenant with the Jewish State dates back to Columbus Day, which is always celebrated around Sukkot. According to "Columbus Then and Now" (Miles Davidson,...
Ahead of Sukkot, Etrog Smugglers Attract Israel Tax Authority Attention
Ahead of the start of the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot on Wednesday night, smugglers of the lemon-like etrog fruit used for the celebration are...
Balancing Humility and Pride
Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa famously said: "Every person should have two pockets. In one pocket should be a piece of paper that reads, 'I am...
Did Sukkot Shape Thanksgiving?
JNS.org - Did Sukkot help shape America's Thanksgiving? According to one of the foremost experts on American Judaism, Dr. Jonathan Sarna, the biblical holiday did...
Will Syria be Obama’s Rwanda?
When I visited Rwanda last month, I was preceded by President Clinton who arrived the day before. Clinton is a regular visitor to Rwanda and...
The Story of the Jews on the BBC
Have you been watching Simon Schama's BBC series The Story of the Jews? I absolutely loved last weekend's opener and I'm looking forward to tonight's second...
The Spirit of the Twin Towers Can’t Be Destroyed
(I wrote this piece days after 9/11/2001 and think it still rings true today.) When I lived in New York, I could look up at...
Jewish Education Can Make Us the ‘Choosing People’
JNS.org - I'll never forget the words of my Hebrew school teacher: "While we may have once been the Chosen People, now we are the...
A Double Standard on Kaparot: Chickens Suffer More on Factory Farms
This week thousands of chickens are being slaughtered as part of the 'Kaparot' ritual performed by some Orthodox Jews before Yom Kippur. A live chicken is rotated...
Before Yom Kippur, Thousands Visit Western Wall and Hebron
The days leading up to Yom Kippur have brought thousands of Jewish prayer goers to some of Judaism's holiest sites - the Western Wall in...
