by Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg | Dec 26, 2019 | Community, Religion
A bicycle ride from Jerusalem to Eilat brings Israel and the environment powerfully into focus. The Torah tells us Adam, the first human, was created from Adamah (ground). Rabbi Arthur Waskow, noticing the pun, calls Adam the “first earthling.” Being “of” the earth is... read more
by JTA | Dec 19, 2019 | Community, Religion
By Sheryl Haft For Jewish children, the excitement of Chanukah is often connected to the promise of receiving gifts, usually one for each of the eight nights. But for parents, the gift-buying and gift-giving can start to feel like a long-running episode of the Home... read more
by JTA | Dec 17, 2019 | Community, Religion
By Sarah Gershman Chanukah’s proximity to Christmas complicates things for the Festival of Lights. For those who try to make Chanukah more like Christmas, it inevitably seems to fall short. While Chanukah is traditionally not one of the most central holidays of the... read more
by Rabbi Yerachmiel Shapiro | Dec 16, 2019 | Community, Religion, Spirituality
You probably think the Book of Maccabees never left, but the truth is it was never really “here.” You see, the Book of Maccabees is not in the Jewish Bible. Amazingly, it is found in the Christian version of the Old Testament. Isn’t it enough they get to make the New... read more
by Alan Feiler, Editor-in-Chief | Nov 18, 2019 | Community, Gallery ONLY, Religion
It was a homecoming celebration that no in-town shul has experienced in quite a while. Last Sunday morning, Nov. 17, Beth Am Synagogue officially marked the completion of the nearly yearlong renovation of its historic Reservoir Hill home with a rededication ceremony.... read more
by JTA | Nov 15, 2019 | International, News, Religion
By Marcus M. Gilban At 91, Holocaust survivor Andor Stern no longer fears the Nazis who imprisoned him in Auschwitz. Today, Stern — who lives in his native Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest metropolitan area of nearly 25 million people — says what scares him... read more
by Rabbi Chai Posner | Nov 14, 2019 | Community, Religion, Spirituality
“Tithe if you love Jesus, any fool can honk.” I recently saw this bumper sticker, and though I certainly don’t connect to the “Jesus” part, I thought the line was succinct and powerful. Honking doesn’t show love; honking is easy. Tithing takes time, money and... read more
by Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg | Oct 30, 2019 | Community, Religion, Spirituality
A key Jewish value is k’vod habriot, honor afforded by us to all human beings. It’s common for social justice-minded people to seek out opportunities for justice. As the Torah instructs: “Justice, justice you shall pursue” (Deut. 16:20). But sometimes, justice can... read more
by Peter Arnold | Oct 17, 2019 | Community, Gallery ONLY, Religion
As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Laurie Goodwin says it was important to her that her sons, Samuel, 4, and Jacob, 2, celebrate the festival of Sukkot with members of their community. “It means the world to me to have this sukkah at my house,” said the... read more
by Deborah Walike | Oct 11, 2019 | Community, Community Resources, Religion, Spirituality
The Holocaust is arguably the most documented event in human history. But most people don’t know that Jews and non-Jews in Europe frequently enjoyed good relations prior to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi regime. Daniel Mendelsohn wants to change that perception. On... read more
Read the latest views and thoughts from Jmore Publisher Scott Rifkin, MD 