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Sue Fishkoff

Sue Fishkoff

At Conservative rabbis’ confab, it’s not about the organization, but the future

Listening to Conservative rabbis talk about their movement is like witnessing an intervention. They talk of “saving” Conservative Judaism – and sometimes they blame the parents when things go wrong. “Reform rabbis speak positively about their movement and less positively about their synagogue, while Conservative rabbis speak positively about their synagogue and less positively about their movement,” said Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt of B’nai Tzedek in Potomac, Md., paraphrasing a refrain he says he has heard often from Reform and Conservative colleagues.

Secular Judaism keeps next generation in the fold

When Mark Neuman celebrated his bar mitzvah seven years ago at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture in Vancouver, B.C., he didn’t read from Torah, wear a yarmulke or pronounce Hebrew blessings. He gave a talk on the psychology of Jewish humor.

The Rebbe’s army soldiers on

Chabad has become so ubiquitous that Jewish travelers around the world, no matter how far they stray, have come to expect a Shabbat meal, a holiday celebration and a warm welcome from one of these Chasidic couples, no questions asked. All that\’s required is a knock on the door.

SF cops probing death of Israel activist — body found in elevator shaft

Daniel Kliman\’s body was found Monday in a San Francisco building where he was taking Arabic classes. It had been at the bottom of the elevator shaft since Nov. 25, building manager Brad Bernheim told the San Francisco Chronicle. There were no classes held last week, and the elevator supposedly was closed for repairs.

Agriprocessors tries to clean up its act

Nearly three months after a federal raid and six weeks before the busy High Holidays season, a tour of Agriprocessors shows the company is attracting new workers and trying to clean up its act

Under-40s reshape Jewish engagement, report finds

A new report lends muscle to certain aspects of the phenomenon, hinted at by Katznelson: Young Jews\’ desire to be with other young Jews and their interest in creating their own Jewish experiences rather than signing up for long-standing programs.

After raid, kosher meat in short supply

This week, the production slow-down at the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa, finally hit the nation\’s kosher markets and, by extension, kosher consumers

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