Tag: Judaism
Hanukkah’s true meaning is about Jewish survival
Beginning on the evening of Dec. 12, Jews will celebrate the eight-day festival of Hanukkah, perhaps the best-known and certainly the most visible Jewish holiday.
While critics sometimes identify Christmas as promoting the prevalence in...
Generational struggles with Judaism
Repeatedly, the Torah highlights “toldot,” “generations.” Only three weeks ago, our sedra went by that name, and now we see it again. The Joseph story begins by announcing, “These are the toldot of Jacob....
Parashat Vayeshev וישב
Yaakov, finally resides in his father’s land, the land of Israel (Canaan). The Torah writes “Vayeshev Yaakov” (“וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב”) to teach us that this place is now going to be blessed. Our Sages say...
Can Israeli left make peace with Judaism?
One of the most recognized photos from the Six-Day War documented paratroopers looking with awe at the Western Wall, as it was just liberated on June 7, 1967. Yet it seems that if it were up...
Parashat Vayishlach וַיִּשְׁלַח
Yaakov was leaving one wicked man, Lavan, and was heading towards another wicked man, Eisav his “brother”. In the last Parasha it is written “and the angels of HaShem met him” ("וַיִּפְגְּעוּ-בוֹ,מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים"). When...
Parashat Vayeitzei וַיֵּצֵא
Yaakov is forced to leave his parents' house in the city of Be’er Shevea ("באר שבע"), and go towards Rivkah’s wicked brother, Lavan’s house in Charan ("חרן"). The name Charan means anger, alluding to...
The New Face of Judaism
My Jewishly oriented attention was captured – and in short order captivated – by a five-part series in the Jerusalem Report, written by its senior editor, Amotz Asa-El. His crisply written essays, released between...
Charity. Tzedakah. What’s the difference, anyway?
Where do you keep your hands? Where do you keep your wheat?
Rosh Hashanah is well behind us, but another new year draws near, and with it comes the last-minute impulse to donate to charity....
Parashat Vayeira וַיֵּרָא
The Torah writes in our first verse “HaShem appears to him” without mentioning the name Avraham (“אברהם”), to teach us that HaShem frequented him (visited Avraham) many times, starting at the age of three....
Campuses have role to play in survival of Judaism
Colleges today are constantly trumpeting the importance of diversity, of having a student body that includes multiple minorities in terms of race or ethnicity, gender and — yes — religion. If you are a...