Fall 2017(5778)

In honor of the Talmudic Encyclopedia’s recent seventieth anniversary, Jewish Action Editor Nechama Carmel spoke with Rabbi Avraham Steinberg, MD, CEO, the Talmudic Encyclopedia.

How can we improve tefillah for our children and ourselves?

Most Jewish educators feel frustrated by their inability to help their students appreciate the transformative power of tefillah—and not for lack of trying.

OU President Moishe (Mark) Bane discusses some of the challenges of prayer with Rabbi Binyomin Eisenberger, a prominent New York rav.

NCSY believes it can revolutionize the way teens daven. And it published a first-of-its-kind siddur to prove it.

The question of prayer has challenged philosophers throughout the ages. If God knows what we want and what we deserve, why does He need us to pray?

The ultimate goals of tefillah [education] are that our children and students should pray with faith, fervor and understanding.

Rav Neria opened the door wide, and invited me with a grand gesture of his arm to enter. He welcomed me with a strong handshake. ‘Welcome, Mr. Tzion Tzadok. I have been waiting for you.’

Caryn Esther Pollak was born at a time the world believed that children with Down syndrome could never learn to read or write or live full, productive lives. Her parents weren’t buying it.

Two thousand people, with their curiosity piqued, filled the grand auditorium. The debaters, dressed in tuxedos, wing collars, bat ties and “with yarmulkes on their heads made a very fine appearance.”

Irrespective of their different life stories and circumstances—one truth emerges: rebbetzinhood entails a certain amount of mesirut nefesh, self-sacrifice. And yet these idealistic, high-energy and impassioned women say they wouldn’t have it any other way. They simply cannot envision living their lives any differently.

Rebbetzin. A relatively modern word but a fairly ancient role.

Especially now, in the yom tov season—with sweet challah and apple kugels and honeyed desserts—if you’re not paying attention, carb counts can climb.

By Norene Gilletz The upcoming High Holidays provide many opportunities to entertain guests at your yom tov table. Whether it’s just a cup of tea and a slice of traditional honey cake or a full-course festive meal, the hostess has many delicious ways to showcase her culinary skills. During the High Holidays, it’s traditional to […]

By Michelle Friedman and Rachel Yehuda Routledge Publishing New York, 2016 226 pages Reviewed by Neal Turk A significant portion of a pulpit rabbi’s time is spent counseling his congregants, and possibly others from outside his congregation. People approach the rabbi with all kinds of issues, often far from strict halachic queries. Since a rabbi […]

The Torah shines particularly brightly in Agnon’s Buczacz stories, perhaps because of its lowly exilic surroundings, or perhaps because it is rooted in so many years of history and tradition. Agnon is a broad enough thinker to sustain these contradictions.

While the congregant spoke about the difficulty in finding meaning in a child’s death, a visitor sitting on an aisle seat in the men’s section spoke up. “We lost a soldier.”