Parashat Achrei אַחֲרֵי
In the opening verse of our Parasha the word death appears twice (“מוֹת and וַיָּמֻתוּ”), as well as HaShem’s name twice (“יְהוָה and לִפְנֵי-יְהוָה”). We also see an extra word describing the two sons...
Zionism meets feminism: Talking shop over a crisp glass of Chardonnay
In a quintessential “only in Israel” moment, nearly 60 women (and a few dozen men) gathered on a breezy mid-April evening under the Nachlaot stars, sipping good Israeli wine and talking about the intersection...
‘Everybody’s Birthright Experience’
Monica Smolyar is like any other 21-year-old. She wants to get out and see the world.
One of the places she always dreamed of visiting was Israel. She has a lot of family there, and...
Muestra Lingua
Muestra lingua es la lingua de las madres ke kunan sus bebes, de las granmamis ke yevan a kaminar sus inyetizikos, tiene la golor de los dulses i de las salsas ke se aparejavan...
Parashat Metzora מְּצֹרָע
The word “Metzora” ("מצורע" - one who has “Tzarat”) comes from the Hebrew words “Motzi Ra” ("מוציא רע”), he who spoke ill of someone as “Lashon Hara” ("לשון הרע"). We also see that the...
Parashat Tazria תַזְרִיעַ
Parashat Tazria follows Parashat Shemini to teach us that we must first be holy before we can merit the blessings of birth. We must separate between pure and impure, women must purify in the...
Parashat Shemini שְּׁמִינִי
This is now the first day of the month of Nissan (“ניסן”) as Rosh Chodesh (“ראש חודש”), and the eighth day of the inauguration of the Mishkan. We know that from a hidden numerical...
The new face of Jewish philanthropy is innovative, younger and more female
Giving has been part of New Yorker Sarah Rueven’s life since she can remember. In fact, Rueven recalls her grandparents and her parents teaching by both word and example what a powerful force that...
Kosher controversy over Roman artichokes
Israeli rabbis say Rome's carciofi alla giudia not kosher.
Rome's Jewish community is contesting a ruling by the Israeli rabbinate which says that carciofi alla giudia, a signature Roman-Jewish dish, is non-kosher, according to a report in Israeli...
Birthright from the ‘sabra’ side: The Israeli perspective
While it is well known that Birthright trips provide American participants with a transformative, often life-changing experience, it is perhaps less known that the young Israelis who accompany the participants on the trip often...