64.6 F
San Diego
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Facebook RSS Twitter Youtube
Home Tags Hebrew Bible

Tag: Hebrew Bible

Eli Schiff and Chari Pere with their children, (from left to right) Bailey, Serina and Jakey. Credit: Courtesy of the Schiff Family.

Jewish family works together on Christian-produced animated film about King David

Jewish History
By
Jessica Russak-Hoffman
-
0
Voice actor Eli Schiff, 42, and his wife, cartoonist Chari Pere, 40, have spent years building their creative careers. Their latest project has turned their family into castmates. The couple and their children—Jakey, 13; Bailey,...
Read more
Star of David, prayerbook. Credit: Ri_Ya/Pixabay.

On Yom Kippur, it’s time to hit the ‘reset button’

Jewish Holidays
By
Gerald Platt
-
0
Taking into consideration that this is the time of year for Jewish reflection and atonement, it’s also a good time to reflect on the power and responsibility of forgiveness, a theme that runs through...
Read more
A rare seal impression (bulla) with inscription in the ancient Hebrew script from the First Temple period with letters reading “LeYedayahu Asayahu” was unearthed by the Temple Mount Sifting Project in Jerusalem in July, 2025. Credit: Temple Mount Sifting Project.

Rare First Temple-era seal impression found in Jerusalem

Jewish History
By
JNS Staff
-
0
A rare First Temple-era seal impression (bulla) bearing a Hebrew inscription was unearthed three weeks ago by the Temple Mount Sifting Project, Hebrew media reported on Wednesday. A bulla is an inscribed clay, soft metal,...
Read more

To boldly go where no generation has gone before

Op-Eds
By
Yehoshua Pfeffer
-
0
The proud naming of Israel’s campaign against Iran was remarkably prescient. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, presumably, intended it primarily as a reference to rising up from the calamity of Oct. 7, 2023. But on a...
Read more
A view of St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican City. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Why the Catholic Church should recognize Israel as the inheritance of the Jewish people

Jewish People
By
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
-
0
I am currently at the Vatican with Gary Krupp of the “Pave the Way Foundation” to engage with high-ranking Catholic leaders. Krupp has spent his life building bridges between the church, the Jewish community...
Read more
Musician Elton John performs "Rocket Man" during his Glastonbury Festival show, June 25, 2023. Credit: Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.

Tradition or tragedy?

Jewish World
By
Rabbi Yossy Goldman
-
0
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,...
Read more
On several recent flights in the United States, I was rather surprised, and somewhat bemused, to see full-page ads in the airline magazines for a matchmaking service. In fact, there was more than one such service being advertised. Who would believe that in the sophisticated 21st-century, old Yente—the matchmaker from “Fiddler on the Roof”—is being resurrected? “Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch.” Oh, the ad was very slick and professional, but essentially, it was Yente all over again. Frankly, I must admit to feeling gratified seeing that the old shidduch system is alive and well in modern, corporate America. For decades, cultured Jews in the United States and elsewhere looked down upon the shidduch system still practiced in the religious community. It was considered archaic and outdated in the new age where everyone was marrying for love. It was beneath these moderns to rely on a shadchan, a “matchmaker,” to find one’s partner in life. But when you think about it, how many people find their marriage partners completely on their own? Most are introduced by a friend, given a telephone number or invited to a party where the host’s express intention is to introduce a certain man and a woman to each other. It’s probably the exception where two people happen to meet on their own and go on to marry each other, unless they were high school sweethearts who kept up the relationship. If a mutual friend who knows both parties thinks it’s a good match, it stands a far better chance of success than a random meeting at a bar, where one’s judgment is often blurred by the beer. How many people have met their bashert online on the many dating services available today? I don’t know the number, but there are a great many who have. It may be online, but it’s basically a shidduch service. I think there was always a misunderstanding of the shidduch system by people on the outside. Many thought that it was the parents choosing a match for their son or daughter, and the couple themselves had no choice in the matter. Not true! A matchmaker, shadchan, only makes a suggestion. If the couple agrees to meet, there is no coercion to marry. Millions of young religious men and women have gone on one or two dates and decided it’s not for them. End of story. Back to the drawing board until the right person comes up. How different is that from the dating sites or the socialite shadchan-like advertising in the airline magazine? Even in the religious community, parents and mentors always advise young people that there must be chemistry between a couple before they should commit to marriage. When comparing his and her résumés and profiles the union may appear great on paper, but the human element must never be compromised. The couple themselves must feel attracted to one another. As a rule, rabbis or rebbetzins who are asked for advice by indecisive, tentative men and women will always ask if there is an attraction, a vibe, a good feeling between the parties. There’s a lot to be said for the shidduch system, even with its inherent problems, which it does have. Still, the numbers don’t lie, and generations of happy, content, loving families speak for themselves. Yes, in the observant community parents are usually involved in helping their children decide who to date. But that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Parental guidance can be very helpful. Too often, I’ve been asked to counsel families where a son or daughter wanted to marry someone the parents felt was inappropriate. I can confirm that in cases where the young person defied their parents’ objections to the union, the marriage usually didn’t last. Infatuation often gets in the way of logical reasoning. While it is their decision alone, young people would be well advised to listen very carefully to their parents’ opinions and loving advice. This week’s Torah portion, Chaye Sarah, records the very first shidduch in the Bible. Abraham dispatches his trusted servant, Eliezer, to Abraham’s hometown with the singular mission of finding a wife for his son, Isaac. Eliezer meets young Rebecca at the well ... and the rest is history. She is beautiful, exceptionally kind and generous, and she is from the same family as Abraham, his great-niece, in fact. The shidduch is made, and Isaac and Rebecca marry. This match was clearly ordained by heaven, and there wasn’t much dating before it came to pass. But ever since Eliezer—the first shadchan in history—successfully concluded the deal, the shidduch system has served us well. So whether it’s from an ad in a magazine, an online dating service or your local Yente, don’t be shy to look for your bashert through the agency of an intermediary. May all our single men and women who are looking in earnest find their own bashert ASAP.

The very first ‘shidduch’

Jewish World
By
Rabbi Yossy Goldman
-
0
On several recent flights in the United States, I was rather surprised, and somewhat bemused, to see full-page ads in the airline magazines for a matchmaking service. In fact, there was more than one...
Read more
A fire that broke out the northern Israeli city of Safed as a result of missiles fired by Hezbollah in Lebanon, Oct. 20, 2024. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.

The world against Israel: Prophecies fulfilled

Op-Eds
By
Raphael Shore
-
0
For the next week, the Jewish people are celebrating the holiday of Sukkot. Last year, the holiday ended with the Oct. 7 pogrom in Israel. This year, we are celebrating our strength, resilience and...
Read more
UNRWA staff members protest against cuts in financial aid outside the agency's offices in Gaza City on April 14, 2019. Photo by Hassan Jedi/Flash90.

Defunding UNRWA and collective punishment

Op-Eds
By
Rabbi Shlomo Levin
-
0
The 14th chapter of the book of Leviticus describes a mysterious disease that infects houses. It states that when this disease is suspected, the dwelling must initially be left empty for seven days. If...
Read more
V

Israeli soldiers find Hebrew Book of Psalms in Gaza home

Jewish History
By
jns
-
0
IDF soldiers have found a Book of Psalms with a personal dedication to an Israeli man from nearly four decades ago in the home of a Palestinian terrorist in the Gaza Strip. The book, which...
Read more
12Page 1 of 2
© JewishWebsite.com 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
A WEBstationONE.com. - Community News Service funded by the Internet Development Fund.