Laura Ben-David
“IDF CEREMONY,” 2015
Soldiers at the Michve Alon Israel Defense Forces base near Safed. “IDF Ceremony” is part of the international exhibition “Passage to Israel,” at the Sagamore Hotel in the South Beach area of Miami Beach until May 30, as part of a three-month “Peace 70” initiative (passagetoisrael.org).
Chaplains are called to be present. We hold, we witness, we support others in accessing their spiritual resources, and we accompany. We honor the grief, loss, and love by seeing and hearing them when it is unbearable.
An outcry over my support for Israel in my Jewish Journal columns forced me to withdraw from my commencement address at Georgetown Law School. Here is the speech I was going to give.
This is the fifth time that Israel has qualified for the Eurovision final in the past six years.
“We Were Made for These Times” is as inventive and joyous an album as I’ve heard in a long time. And the most proudly Jewish.
In a sold-out event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization) hosted its annual Mother’s Day Luncheon.
He became the first senior adviser to Democratic Majority for Israel PAC, helping elect pro-Israel politicians to Congress and winning more than 80% of races.
The challenge is how we can reinvent rabbinical training so that it’s not clinging to models that no longer work, is sustainable, and addresses the needs of today and tomorrow’s Jewish community.
Let’s just say, Shavuot gives us a wonderful, guilt-free excuse to indulge in this guava mango cheesecake!
While there may be limitations on how to enjoy burgers due to the laws of kashrut, it just means Jews have to get a little more creative.
It’s not just a momentous occasion for the congregation but is significant for the larger Palisades community as well, as it helps restore a sense of faith that the community will reemerge stronger than ever.
The story centers on Esther Perez (portrayed by Leïla Bekhti), a Moroccan-Jewish immigrant and devoted mother of six. When her newborn son Roland is diagnosed with a clubfoot and given a bleak prognosis, Esther refuses to accept limits placed on his future.
When I travel in America, I love being invited to observe Shabbat building bridges – uniting tribes – among Christians.
The moment Jewish houses of worship become targets for political intimidation, the line between activism and harassment disappears.
In the introduction to the book about the U.S. community I wrote about a decade and a half ago, a little story about Foxman appeared, which I thought was appropriate as a farewell to this man and to an era.
America’s third president’s home survived thanks to the efforts of a proud Jew thankful for freedom of religion in the United States.
Perhaps this also signals a belated reckoning for other false-flag NGOs claiming to promote human rights. The damage from terror-supporting propaganda will take many years to reverse, but at least further abuse can finally be prevented.
Shavuot is that moment in the year where all becomes one – People Israel, Torah, memory and the Divine – a unification begun at Sinai.
This idea is not just about fleeing antisemitism, nor proving native loyalty. It is about experiencing life from a different angle than the coasts.
