A few years ago, Aish HaTorah Rabbi Yaacov Deyo (of SpeedDating fame) presented me with a book before Rosh Hashana. With this simple, gracious gesture he changed forever the way I relate to what can be the most daunting time on the Jewish calendar.
Italian scholar Francesco Spagnolo is keenly aware of the long-standing Jewish presence in Italy.
\”Never before the creation of the State of Israel did Jews of so many varied origins live together, and in such a stimulating, if at times threatening, environment as in the land they called in Hebrew \’I-Tal-Yah,\’\” he says.
\”I-Tal-Yah\” — Island of Divine Dew in Hebrew — means Italy in Italian, a land where Jews have lived for more than 2,000 years and which has seen layer after layer of immigration from all over the Jewish Diaspora.
If you like babbling brooks and floating waterlilies, City of Hope probably has your idea of an interesting and unusual Saturday afternoon.
Late-night giggles in a bunk bed, lazy afternoons in a cool pool, sweet summer Shabbats with friends that will last a lifetime — to Rabbi Daniel Greyber, the new executive director of Camp Ramah in California, the Jewish camp experience is a delicate balance of athletic, social and artistic adventures, all peppered with soulful Jewish traditions.
Colleagues in faith, we must act together now. We owe it to our respective faiths and our common calling.
In the framework of public obligation and commandment, Jewish men are the central characters of wedding ceremonies, with women taking a more passive role.
Hold onto your son\’s baby blanket. Don\’t give away your daughter\’s cheerleading uniform. If they hold precious memories and deep meanings, you may be able to recycle them — as part of your child\’s chuppah.
This Thanksgiving, following the horrific attacks of Sept. 11, we are already a patriotic and unified country. But, we are also a frightened and anxious country, in need of the comfort that tradition brings.
When does life begin?\” is not your standard political question, but it\’s forcing the debate behind one of the hottest topics in Washington — stem cell research.
\”A Letter in the Scroll: Understanding Our Jewish Identity and Exploring the Legacy of the World\’s Oldest Religion\” by Jonathan Sacks. (The Free Press, $25.)
Gently, gracefully, thoughtfully, Jonathan Sacks unfolds an emotionally compelling argument for Jews to reclaim and engage with traditional faith, traditional texts and traditional acts. Wisely, he eschews philosophic reasonings: Jews teach by words, with words, through stories, songs, psalm, exegesis. Logically constructed arguments cannot convince one of religious veracity nor demonstrate a revealed truth.
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