Posts Tagged: Jewish life
Modern Orthodox Rabbi Seeks to Change Israeli Rabbinate
Amid the surprising Israeli election results that empowered political parties calling for a change to the ultra-Orthodox's grip on Jewish life, a reform-minded modern Orthodox...
Yair Lapid and The Elections in Israel
I am pleasantly surprised by the results of the latest elections in Israel. Not because anything has significantly changed, but precisely because, other than superficially,...
“Some of My Best Friends are Antisemites”: Obama Nominates Hagel
"Europe's leaders—and all leaders—should strongly oppose antisemitism, which poisons public debates over the future of the Middle East." -President George W....
Rebbetzin (Rabbi’s Wife): The Ultimate Balancing Act
Recently, a congregant asked me to speak to her daughter, who was planning to become a Rebbetzin, to give her some words of encouragement and...
The Role of Religion
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life recently released a global study of religion whose findings have appeared in newspapers and social media everywhere....
Should the Jewish Laws on Charity Change with the New Tax Laws?
If one accepts that Jewish law is immutable and applicable at all times, than surely one should also believe that those charged with overseeing and...
Judaism Shows Weakest Growth Prospects Among Major Religions
Of all the major religious groups in the world, Judaism is the smallest. According to a new report from the Pew Forum on Religion and...
The Yiddish Language’s Literal and Figurative Rescuer
AMHERST, MA—Aaron Lansky's decades-long mission is typified by an "emergency" call he once received on a wintry night, summoning him to New York to rescue thousands...
Israel Study Abroad an Expanding Option for High School Students
ADULLAM PARK, ISRAEL—I sit in a cave near the Madras Ruins just south of Jerusalem, my legs dusty with the powdery chalk of the rock...
Thoughtful Adventures of Jewish Identity
"Union Square Park in Manhattan was the scene of a nighttime festival," author Theodore Ross excitedly remarks, as he seeks out the 2010 "Sukkah City"...
American Hebrew Literature, by Michael Weingrad (REVIEW)
American Hebrew Literature, by Michael Weingrad (Syracuse University Press, 2011). Lost causes, forsaken beliefs, impossible loyalties! How many of these figure in, and sometimes disfigure, Jewish...
Honing Anti-Semitism in France & Sweden
A wave of anti-Jewish violence has taken place in France and Sweden over the past few weeks. The difference in government response is notable, and...
When the United Nations Unites One Nation
Jews and decent people the world over swelled in appreciation when Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke some words of truth in a house of...
Doctor David Granet of Glasgow: Keeping the Light Alive
It is very hard for one generation to fully understand the zeitgeist and the unique circumstances of another. This is certainly true of Jewish...
