Being Jewish at Christmas: Embracing the spirit of the season
As the holiday season unfolds, there’s an undeniable magic in the air. Twinkling lights line the streets, carols ring out from speakers in stores, and an unmistakable warmth fills the chill of December. For...
Budapest, haunted by the Holocaust, welcomes Israeli visitors
ne chilly winter night in Budapest, from our hotel room overlooking the iconic Váci Street, we were taken by surprise to hear a group of young Israelis enthusiastically singing “Am Yisrael Chai!” (The People...
Tradition or tragedy?
I am writing these lines from the United States, where I am nearing the end of my latest speaking tour. I’ve been to New York, Toronto, Detroit, Philadelphia, and now Miami.
Coming from South Africa,...
Tactical menorahs: A new first for the IDF Rabbinate
Under the shadow of the war in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria, the Israel Defense Forces are preparing for the holiday of Chanukah.
In the past few weeks, the IDF Rabbinate worked to distribute...
Progressives ‘celebrating’ Chanukah
This year’s first Chanukah candle will be lit on the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 25, in a remarkable ecumenical link-up of Christmas festivities and the Jewish celebration of candles and latkes, sufganiyot and the singing of...
The Holiness of Sex: Leonard Cohen’s Biblical Theology
On hearing that I had recently written a book about Leonard Cohen, someone asked me why I thought Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature rather than Cohen. Not being a Nobel prize adjudicator...
A rabbi’s Christmas wishes
To date, I have experienced more than 70 Christmas seasons in my lifetime. having spent all the previous ones as an “outsider.” I admit to a life-long appreciation of the Yule season’s message and...
Chanukah 2024: Around the world for the eight nights of the ‘Festival of Lights’
This is one tour where you’re going to want to bring your appetite along. And quite possibly a towel.
Because oil—and plenty of it—is flowing during the eight days of Chanukah.
That’s why all diets are...
Pop-up exhibit in Miami features Israeli works by classic and contemporary artists
An exhibition in Miami titled HOME | LAND, curated by Michelle Azout, features works from 40-plus classic and contemporary Israeli artists.
More than 120 pieces in a mix of media, including paintings, sculptures, prints, textiles, digital art and...
Holocaust hero’s legacy at risk
The Joseph Bau House Museum, dedicated to the legacy of Holocaust survivor and artist, is launching a critical fundraising campaign to secure its future.
The Tel-Aviv based museum currently operates in rented space within Bau’s...