Come spring most of us long for lighter fare, such as vegetables, fish and a touch of sweetness. Beet Borscht 8 servings There are so many versions of beet borscht. Most of them are made with beef stock and served with pieces of meat, and are meals in themselves, especially in winter. This version, which […]
Wine plays a central role in Jewish religious life. In the days of the Temple, whenever one brought a korban (sacrifice), it had to be accompanied by wine.
Those who perform acts of kindness are described by the Talmud as those who seize the covenant of Avraham. Doing kindness is one of the three distinguishing characteristics of a Jew. Avraham, who was the embodiment of kindness, was, in Rambam’s words, “the pillar of the world.” Indeed, the very creation of our world was […]
For an ambitious young rabbi or cantor, a congregation that only conducts services twice a year is hardly the place to build a career. But for Allan Goodkind, leading High Holiday services in such a congregation hasn’t been a way of advancing his career—it’s been his way of doing chesed. In the fall of 1960, […]
Something about the young girl in front of her on line at Hacker, a butcher shop in Jerusalem, seemed familiar, although Chaya Hammer had never seen her before. Perhaps it was the empty basket slung over an arm covered by a threadbare sweater sleeve or the lank braids hanging alongside a too-thin face? “She reminds […]
It’s a typical Shabbat at the Shapiros.’* The front door swings open and closed as guest after guest files in. On average, about thirty arrive: some wearing black hats, some knitted yarmulkes, still others wearing faded jeans and no head covering traipse in. Passersby watching the procession might wonder: “Whose house is this, anyway?” Menachem […]
The Landys may very well be the most conspicuous family in Rochester, New York. Anita Landy drives around town in a big white bus, custom made to carry her lively crew of five, in addition to three wheelchairs, a ventilator and a service dog named Magic. Nurses traipse in and out of their home 24/7, […]
When a family member passes away, we follow the Torah’s guidelines for the proper burial of the body. The interment of a body and the erecting of a headstone are important for the deceased, but they are also important for the survivors. It is vital for family members to be able to visit a grave, […]
People would rather believe that Walid Shoebat is an undercover operative working for (choose one): A. the Arabs, B. the Israelis, C. the Americans, than what he is in reality—a former PLO terrorist who repented, converted to Christianity and now travels throughout the United States, Canada and England, advocating for Israel and the Jewish people, […]
Misconception: A person’s Hebrew and English birthdays coincide once every 19 years. Fact: There is a 19-year cycle within the Jewish calendar, but it only determines which years are “regular” years and which are leap years. The calendar does not precisely repeat every 19 years, and birthdays do not necessarily coincide (mine did not). Background: […]
In all addictions, I have found the same dynamic: A person feels a compulsion to drink, use drugs, eat, gamble or smoke, and it is extremely difficult to resist the compulsion. Although one may be sincerely motivated to overcome the addiction, the compulsion is usually overwhelming. Oftentimes, an individual will not have the willpower to […]
Now in his twentieth year as executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, an umbrella organization consisting of fifty-one national Jewish groups from across the religious and political spectrum, Malcolm Hoenlein, sixty-two, effectively serves as the voice of American Jewry on international and national concerns, representing its interests in […]
In 1897, at the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, Theodor Herzl challenged the Jewish people with the words, “If you will it, it is no dream.” It’s been just over one hundred years since that momentous event, and today almost 40 percent of the world’s Jewish population lives in Israel – a miraculous increase […]
Do you have a work-related kashrut question? Send it to ja@ou.org, and it may be featured in our newest column dedicated to exploring the multitude of kashrut issues that confront the Orthodox Jew in the workplace. Answers supplied by the OU Kashrut Department. Mar’it Ayin: Believe It or Not Q. The office is ordering non-kosher […]
A recently issued study by the American Jewish Committee suggests that American Jewry is in for a stunning and almost shocking surprise. The study notes that Orthodox Judaism in America is on the ascendancy, and that in the decades to come it is destined to exercise major influence on the quality and direction of American […]