7 TV shows & movies with jewish themes that you need to watch
Like many people, watching TV and film is one of the ways I can relax. While I am the first person to advocate for books, I also don’t think we need to feel guilty about...
How jewish humor (and food) can save a family
Fifteen years ago, my dad died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 58. First there was shock, then disbelief—and once there was acceptance, of course the sadness and grief kicked in....
Low marriage rates and intermarriage threaten future of U.S. jewry, report warns
Fewer American Jews are marrying these days, and among those who do, barely 40 percent do so with Jewish spouses, a study published on Thursday shows.
The study, published by the Jerusalem-based Jewish People Policy...
Ancient Israelites: society & lifestyle
Two main social structures competed in ancient Israel. The people were united under the monarchy, which organized the state for administrative and taxation purposes. At the same time, the Israelites held fast to their...
89-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor Celebrates Bar Mitzvah
WILMETTE, IL — More than three quarters of a century ago, Nazis robbed a 12-year-old Harold Katz from a chance to have a normal bar mitzvah, the Jewish coming of age ceremony.
This Memorial Day,...
Syrian Jewish cuisine: a food in exile
We often draw empathy, not from our imagination, but from seeing our past staring back at us. As the global Jewish community grapples with how best to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis, we...
Landfill dig reveals ancient Jewish dietary habits
When archaeologists dig through ancient ruins, they find remnants of such things as city walls and roads, palaces and ordinary homes, cisterns and cemeteries, coins and jewelry. They also find garbage. Sometimes on purpose.
That’s...
Holy water: reclaiming an ancient Jewish ritual
"This is my first time at the mikvah with such short hair, " says Rachell Goldberg. "My hair started growing back after my chemo. Up top here is probably what, one inch long?"
Goldberg, 38,...
Jewish culinary cuisines continue to evolve
When it comes to Jewish food, it can be defined in different ways: For Steven Cook, it was his mother’s matzo ball soup made with onion soup mix; for Joan Nathan, it was canned...
Sivan: inspiration from head and heart
Rosh Chodesh Sivan is set to begin Thursday, May 25. This is the month in which the wheat harvest is celebrated in the land of Israel. We also observe Shavuot, which commemorates the anniversary...