The Power of Passover: It Compels Us to Look at Both Darkness and Light
The Passover seder can be seen as a great dance between darkness and light. We don’t read our story like a Hollywood movie. Slavery is not a set up for the big ending of liberation.
Tisha B'Av
Rabbi Rebecca Schatz, the Listening Rabbi
When the time came to pick a career, Schatz knew she wanted to be a rabbi.
Passover 2022: Are Jews Still People of the Book?
Tonight marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. The centerpiece of this festival is the Seder: a festive meal designed to tell...
Inside the Princeton BDS Referendum Controversy
After the Chief Elections Manager of Student Government informed Tigers for Israel that abstentions counted as votes cast, he reversed the decision. Opposition thought the referendum failed. Now it’s up in the air.
UAE’s First Fully Equipped Jewish Neighborhood to be Established, Rabbi Says
District to include synagogue, homes, schools, community center, and hotels
Editor's PicksEditor's
Pandemic TimesCOVID19
Our Dayenu Moment
(JTA) — Mark Asher Goodman is beginning to imagine finishing paying off roughly $85,000 in student debt he incurred while training to become a rabbi — nearly two decades...
Top Stories
Rapper Kosha Dillz Brings Passover to the Desert at Coachella
Why is this Coachella different from all other Coachellas? This year’s Coachella begins on the first night of Passover. If you’re choosing to attend...
Princeton BDS Referendum Vote in Dispute
There is currently a dispute over whether or not a referendum supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement passed the Princeton University student body or not.
Twisting the Holocaust to Fit a Narrative
With the approach of Holocaust Memorial Day (Yom HaShoah) comes yet another wave of attempts to distort the Holocaust in order to advance various political or social agendas.
L.A. Federation Stages Pre-Passover Program, Day Schools Support Ukraine
Ryan Torok - 0
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles held a special pre-Passover program at its BAR Center at the Beach in Venice highlighting the holiday’s...
Chicago to Hollywood to Encino: Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz’s Route to VBS
Life is about to change for the congregants at Valley Beth Shalom, one of the largest Conservative synagogues in the United States, when the new senior rabbi, Nolan Lebovitz, takes over in July.
Columnists
Passover: Peoplehood Meets Ideahood
You may have noticed that in recent years, the term “Jewish peoplehood” has grown in prominence.
Ukraine: What Is in America’s Interest?
As a result of the Russian invasion and partial destruction of Ukraine, the question “What is in America’s interest?” is the question of the day.
Three Women to Watch
Three female leaders on three different continents have taken steps in the last several days to impact U.S. and global politics.
Connecting With God at Passover
The major theme of Passover is freedom.
How a Woman Can Wear Down a Man
When it comes to how women treat men in male-female marriages, my eyes are open.
L.A. StoriesLos Angeles
Israel Appoints Noa Tishby As First Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and Delegitimization of Israel
Actress, producer and activist Noa Tishby was appointed today as Israel’s first Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism and Delegitimization of Israel.
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Going Beyond Disability Awareness to Inclusion
We must stop seeing disability as a deficit to overcome. We must acknowledge people with disabilities as equal members of society with the rights and options to participate in all aspects of it.
On Impermanence: The Two Sanctuaries
The Exodus story — recounted each year at Pesach seders around the world — tells the story of the Israelites’ two great sanctuaries.
Inviting the Refugee Child to Our Seder Tables
Each year at our seders, we remember the four children; the Wise child, the Rebellious child, the Simple child, and the child who does not know how to ask.
Iowa’s Antisemitism Bill and 101 Years Since My Grandpa Confronted Henry Ford
Ford bought the Dearborn Independent in 1919 and starting in May 1920 his antisemitic articles became a mainstay of the weekly newspaper, until he finally capitulated and shut it down in 1927.
Another Bloody Ramadan in Israel as “Partner for Peace” Incites Murder
Sadly, as it is with history, governance and everything else it has touched, the PA exploits Ramadan, using it to corrupt and to incite violence.
Honoring our Grandparents at the Seder Table
Listen to the full episode on any of your favorite podcast platforms!
In this special Passover episode, David and Shanni discuss the value of honoring...
Mindy and Mandy Moved Us While Oscars Snoozed Us
After briefly breaking down the Oscars, the Bagels compare it to the Jewish community after COVID (of course) and wonder if the trailers for "In The...
Rabbi Doctor Daniel Friedman: Talmud For Regular Folks
Author and speaker Daniel Friedman shares transformative wisdom from our Sages, as well as surprising research from his doctoral thesis on American Christian attitudes...
Jeffrey Bloom and Rabbi Gil Student: Orthodox Judaism and Modern Questions of Faith
Jeffrey Bloom and Rabbi Gil Student speak with Shmuel Rosner about their new book: "Strauss, Spinoza & Sinai: Orthodox Judaism and Modern Questions of Faith".
Rabbi...
This Isn’t About Kamala, It’s About America
I was sad to hear about Kamala Harris and the student incident. Not because I’m worried about the support for Israel, but because I’m worried about the state of America.
Hollywood StoriesHollywood
CultureCulture
A Tale of Two Briskets
Traditional food is the hub of any Jewish holiday, and you can’t get more traditional than brisket.
The Story of “REBECCA! Mother of Two Dynasties”
Raise Your Spirits (RYS) Theatre released, in the days leading up to Pesach, the video (for women only) and audio recording (for everyone) of our latest biblical operetta, “REBECCA! Mother of Two Dynasties.”
Frank Stella’s “Had Gadya” Series Comes to Hebrew Union College
American artist Frank Stella’s “Had Gadya” series has arrived at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Los Angeles.
Passover Comedy “When Do We Eat?” Still Puts the “Fun” in Dysfunctional Seder
When husband and wife team Salvador Litvak and Nina Davidovich Litvak released their Passover comedy “When Do We Eat?” in 2005, they knew they had created something special.
A Bisl Torah – What’s Missing?
One of the main themes of Passover is humility. We eat matza that is flattened as a reminder to calm down our often puffed...
A Bisl Torah – Dayeinu
As I visit preschool classrooms and watch model seders, the prayer, “Dayeinu” is belted out, chanted with fervor and enthusiasm. Over any other Pesach...
A Bisl Torah – A Stroll through the Park
This past Wednesday was National Take a Walk in the Park Day. I laughed when I saw the name of the holiday. Why do...
PoetryPoetry
Mah Nishtanah – A new poem for Passover
Rick Lupert - 0
Why is this night different from all other nights?
I’ve always read this as Why
and always knew the answer had
something to do with being free.
But then one branch of Judaism
suggested...
Night of Spring Cleaning
When God in Egypt killed all of the first-
born sons––it was the last of plagues, the tenth––
the panic that ensued was quite the worst
the...
Mountain of Holiness
Whether the capital of Ukraine should be called Kiev or Kyiv
is more immediate and maybe just as murky
as whether “Turkikiye” should be the name...
Guess Who’s Kohening To Dinner? – A poem for Parsha Metzora
After this, the kohen shall come to look at the house.
-Leviticus 14:36
Buying a home is complicated.
(I’d also like to mention, if you
are lucky enough...
When Screams the Soul
From that which our minds
can no longer grasp
our silent gazes
recoil -
we turn to look away,
failing to understand
and yet, somehow must
turn again
to look ...
to perhaps...









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