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February 24, 2010

Shul of my youth

They tore down my old synagogue last month without asking my permission. Maybe they didn’t ask me because, if they had, I would have told them “no.” No, you can’t bulldoze the bimah where my grandparents handed the Torah to my parents, who then handed it to me on the day of my bat mitzvah; no, you can’t sell the fourth-row pew where my family sat during the High Holy Days and Shabbat services; no, you can’t tear down the bathroom where my friends and I would fix our hair and apply strawberry-flavored Lip Smackers before flirting with our respective Hebrew-school crushes.

Palestinians call for intifada over heritage sites

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called Israel\’s decision to include two West Bank sites as national heritage sites \”a serious provocation which may lead to a religious war.\”

Corrie family sues Israel

The family of Rachel Corrie, a U.S. activist who was killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza, is suing Israel.

Marcel Möring’s new novel explores death and life, post-Holocaust

In the skilled hands of the Dutch author Marcel Möring, “In a Dark Wood” (HarperCollins Publishers, $27.99) confirms that a work of fiction can and, as is the case here, does have the power to render immediacy to the tragic repercussions of the Holocaust, at times more effectively than the telling of history.

Our Annual Purim Spoof Cover

Blockbuster Sequel: Ravitar, Medical Hamantaschen, Tiger\’s JDate profile, Mel Gibson steals a trick from Sarah Palin, Joe Lieberman\’s \’Scott Brown\’ campaign tactic, Israel sets up field hospital at Toyota Factory. Relax!!! The real news is still here.

Passover planning

What It Is:\nPassover, or Pesach, celebrates the Jewish exodus out of Egypt, aided by the Ten Plagues. The word “Passover” refers to the fact that the homes of Jews were passed over during the 10th plague, which caused the death of all Egyptian first-born males.\n\nAccording to the 2000-01 National Jewish Population Survey, 79 percent of Jews attend a Passover seder, making it the most commonly observed holiday among Jews.\n\n“Passover is one of the pinnacles of the Jewish year,” said Valley Beth Shalom’s Rabbi Paul Steinberg, author of the award-winning book “Celebrating the Jewish Year.” “It was the really definitive event of Jewishhood and led to our freedom and the responsibilities that come with freedom.”

Camp brings summer funto special-needs kids, families.

In late August, as the summer light begins to fade and families prepare for the coming fall with back-to-school shopping, Camp Ramah in Ojai will conclude its programming with a session for families of children with special needs — Camp Ohr Lanu.

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Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.