Spirituality/Tradition
Take One Small Step Towards Aliyah
We’ve all felt it. At one moment or another, anyone who ever visited Israel has had their breath taken away. It could be emerging from...
Unity = Survival
One of the miracles of the Jewish people is that, at least as a core group, we’ve remained united as one. Taking into consideration our vast differences in thought and customs, the miracle is that much...
Rabbinical Courage and Frozen Texts
The Talmud in Makkot 22b discusses the identity of a Gavra Rabba, an exceptionally great person or Torah sage. It quotes a most remarkable observation made by the well-known Sage Rava, who states: “How foolish...
Donald Trump and This Week’s Torah Portion
There was a very weird exchange on CNN this week during an interview with Donald Trump. I have watched the clip several times just to try and get my head around it, but I still...
Our Community Influences Our Choices and Behavior
At the beginning of Vayakhel, Moses performs a tikkun, a mending of the past -- namely the sin...
Exploiting Antisemitism
Yes, you read the title correctly. We can employ antisemitism for our own benefit. Of...
Conservative Jews Deserve More Than PR
JNS.org - Responding to a dramatic decline in membership, the Conservative Jewish movement’s congregational arm has...
Bulgarian Immigrant to Israel With Hemophilia Risks Life for Circumcision to Complete Conversion to Judaism
An 18-year-old with a rare type of hemophilia risked undergoing a circumcision in order to fulfill...
Renaissance Art’s Falsification of Biblical History Fostered Antisemitism
A current exhibit (January 25-April 14, 2016) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City...
Take One Small Step Towards Aliyah
We’ve all felt it. At one moment or another, anyone who ever visited Israel has had their breath taken away. It could be emerging from the...
Unity = Survival
One of the miracles of the Jewish people is that, at least as a core group, we’ve remained united as one. Taking into consideration our vast...
Rabbinical Courage and Frozen Texts
The Talmud in Makkot 22b discusses the identity of a Gavra Rabba, an exceptionally great person or Torah sage. It quotes a most remarkable observation...
Donald Trump and This Week’s Torah Portion
There was a very weird exchange on CNN this week during an interview with Donald Trump. I have watched the clip several times just to...
Our Community Influences Our Choices and Behavior
At the beginning of Vayakhel, Moses performs a tikkun, a mending of the past -- namely the sin of the Golden Calf. The Torah signals this by using...
Exploiting Antisemitism
Yes, you read the title correctly. We can employ antisemitism for our own benefit. Of course, we’d be better off with out it, but since...
Conservative Jews Deserve More Than PR
JNS.org - Responding to a dramatic decline in membership, the Conservative Jewish movement’s congregational arm has hired the Good Omen PR agency to survey hundreds of...
Bulgarian Immigrant to Israel With Hemophilia Risks Life for Circumcision to Complete Conversion to Judaism
An 18-year-old with a rare type of hemophilia risked undergoing a circumcision in order to fulfill his dream of completing his conversion to Judaism, the Israeli...
Renaissance Art’s Falsification of Biblical History Fostered Antisemitism
A current exhibit (January 25-April 14, 2016) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City features an in-depth examination of two paintings by famed Renaissance...
Why Religion Needs Risk
There is no word I know of in the Bible for “risk.” Modern Hebrew uses the word “sakanah,” which really means “danger.” “Risk” in modern...
Can Jewish Law Truly Define Who Is ‘Jewish’?
I was born by breech delivery, a very painful procedure that my mother endured with iron strength. We nearly did not make it. It was Friday night,...
Israel, Two Months Post-Absorption Center: An Aliyah Check-up
JNS.org - I want to start by saying that I have a bone to pick with social media: People typically put out only the version of...
Houston, We Do Not Have a Kosher Problem
JNS.org - For most of my 29 years, I’ve been spoiled rotten when it comes to kosher food. I was raised not only in New York City,...
A New Israel Divide: One Family vs. A School and a Jewish Community (PART TWO)
JNS.org - (Part 2 of a two-part series. Read Part 1 here.) In the first part of this series, we described the developing legal drama between the Rachmuth family and...
