By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. Radical Chesed…Kol Yisroel Chaverim. Are you open to holiness in your life? If so, how open are you? This week’s parasha, Vayeira, filled with abundant trials, passions and complications of family and communal life, can be a guide to doing just that. After all, it begins, “Now the Lord appeared […]
Parashat Vayeira: Being Open to Holiness Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
By Bruce F. Lowitt The Jewish Press of Tampa Bay What once was something of a novelty – the televising of services from a synagogue into the homes of congregants – has become, with COVID-19, a widespread practice. And for two in Florida, including Temple Ahavat Shalom in Palm Harbor, it has made the leap
From Florida to Ukraine: Shabbat Via Zoom Read More »
Bruce F. Lowitt, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — San Diego Jewish Academy (SDJA), a pluralistic community K-12 school with a thriving early childhood center, today highlighted the milestones the school will celebrate this year, including a new 350-seat performing arts center expected to open in early 2022 and a continued focus on wellness to ensure the health and
San Diego Jewish Academy to Open New Performing Arts Center, Focuses on Wellness Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — On Tuesday, American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (AFIPO) announced a series of galas headlined by an Israel Philharmonic string quartet in seven U.S. cities this December, including the Inaugural San Diego Gala held at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center on December 8th. The events mark the first
Editor’s Note: Although just this last week reaching her bat mitzvah, Sarah Golembesky has become an important pro-Israel advocate through her participation in the StandWithUs organization, which advocates for Israel on North American college and high school campuses. Here is an excerpt from her bat mitzvah speech, delivered on Saturday, Oct. 16, at Ohr Shalom
Bat Mitzvah Project: Growing in My Love for Israel and Helping Others Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Press Release) — After nearly two years of being kept apart, participants of the international Shabbat Project in more than 1,500 cities and 109 countries worldwide will return to the annual initiative’s well-known in-person Shabbat experiences from October 22-23. Following last year’s pivot to home-based Shabbat experiences and Zoom challah bakes –
In a World Turned Upside Down, The Shabbat Project is Back with New Energy Read More »
International, Jewish Religion
By Lizzie Rubin SAN DIEGO — There’s nothing like an audience and an impending deadline to put your goals into motion. In 2017, I decided that, despite never having baked or cooked anything in my life, I wanted to learn to make challah. I told everyone I had wanted to make challah to connect to
Why I Started Making My Own Challah Read More »
Travel and Food
By Gedaliah Borvick On the way to a meeting on Golda Meir Boulevard in Jerusalem, I struck up an interesting conversation with the cab driver about Israel’s fourth prime minister. Golda Meir is memorialized with streets across the country named in her honor and yet many people in Israel lack the adoration that she has
Golda Meir: Pioneer and Lioness Read More »
Gedaliah Borvick, Jewish History
Published by Reuters By Arshad Mohammed, John Irish and Parisa Hafezi WASHINGTON/PARIS (Reuters) -U.S., Israeli and EU officials took a tough line toward Iran on Wednesday, with U.S. officials saying they would consider all options if Tehran failed to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and Israel saying it reserved the right to act. Iranian President
U.S., EU, Israel Take Tough Stance on Iran, Mull Options Read More »
USA
By Teresa Konopka SAN DIEGO — Recently I went to a Jewish young professionals event where the discussion centered around taboo topics. When abortion came up, several people gave their views on the matter. True to the adage “two Jews, three opinions,” there were comments from both sides of the argument. From pro-life to pro-choice,
A Biblical Analysis of Abortion Read More »
Jewish Religion, Teresa_Konopka
SEATTLE (Press Release) — StandWithUs on Tuesday strongly condemned numerous antisemitic social media posts made by Dave Reilly, a candidate for school board in Post Falls School District, Idaho. The Israel education organization also condemned the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee’s (KCRCC) endorsement of Reilly, and refusal to acknowledge his hateful comments. Reilly has recently
StandWithUs Condemns Antisemitism From Idaho School Board Candidate Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
By Marshall Weiss The Dayton Jewish Observer DAYTON, Ohio — How do you respond when a dear friend spews hate? When someone who has championed you — who has held up your spirits in your darkest hours — publicly ignites vile judgments against people who are continually denigrated and othered? Where do you begin? This,
Does Dave Chappelle Get a Free Pass on Hate? Read More »
Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — A reunion of people who, like my husband, were born in 1940, i.e. now aged 80, might sound over-optimistic, but these were no ordinary people. These were men and women who were born and brought up in Kiryat Haim, a settlement situated on the coast slightly north of
Turning the Clock Back Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles
By Sam Glaser LOS ANGELES — I love to watch our quiet street come alive when I daven Shacharit on our front porch, bound in my tefillin and enveloped in my tallit. Our next-door neighbors have two adorable kids, the oldest a loquacious blonde with a favorite game. I watch him try, often successfully, to
The Teenage Years: Better Run Away Read More »
Lifestyles, Sam Glaser