Issue

{ "__typename": "Issue", "volume": "0", "name": "Spring 2008(5768)", "link": "https://jewishaction.com/wp/issues/spring-20085768/", "hebrewYear": "5768", "coverImage": "JA/cr1jtetyf9ag03svisau", "onlineViewer": "", "specialPosts": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/books/rejoice_in_your_festivals_penetrating_insights_into_pesach_shavuot_and_sukk/", "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/books/", "name": "Books" } ] }, "title": "Rejoice in Your Festivals: Penetrating Insights into Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot", "excerpt": "I was delighted to hear about the recent publication of Rejoice in Your Festivals: Penetrating...", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": null, "sizes": "(max-width: 268px) 100vw, 268px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679557737/Jewishaction/rejoice/rejoice.jpg?_i=AA" } } }, { "uri": "/chairmans-message/chairmans_message6/", "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/chairmans-message/", "name": "Chairman's Message" } ] }, "title": "Chairman’s Message – Spring 2008", "excerpt": "A little over sixty years ago, more than six million of our people perished during...", "featuredImage": null }, { "uri": "/letters/letters_to_the_editor4/", "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/letters/", "name": "Letters" } ] }, "title": "Letters to the Editor", "excerpt": "Remembering Rabbi Kret This past Yom Kippur night in Baltimore, I walked home from shul...", "featuredImage": null }, { "uri": "/inside-the-ou/the_ou_takes_on_another_face/", "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/inside-the-ou/", "name": "Inside the OU" } ] }, "title": "The OU Takes On Another Face", "excerpt": "It was just eighty years ago that the familiar Orthodox Union (OU) logo was created...", "featuredImage": null }, { "uri": "/preidents-message/keeping_jerusalem_ours/", "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/preidents-message/", "name": "President's Message" }, { "uri": "/category/religion/shabbat-holidays/yom-yerushalayim/", "name": "Yom Yerushalayim" } ] }, "title": "Keeping Jerusalem Ours", "excerpt": "As I write this column, I am thinking about a Jewish historian, not yet born,...", "featuredImage": null }, { "uri": "/books/minofet_tsuf_iyunim_bmoreh_hanevuchim/", "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/books/", "name": "Books" } ] }, "title": "MiNofet Tsuf, Iyunim B’Moreh HaNevuchim", "excerpt": "MiNofet Tsuf, Iyunim B’Moreh HaNevuchim (Hebrew) By Jonathan Blass Kollel Ritson Yehudah Petach Tikva, 2006...", "featuredImage": null } ] }, "regularPosts": { "nodes": [ { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/opinion/", "name": "Opinion" } ] }, "title": "Life As a Happy Single Person", "excerpt": "<p>I bought couches. They are beige, with button detail on the sides and dark wood trim. I bought a variety of pillows to go on them, chocolate brown and light blue—silk, suede and cotton. I rearranged the living room furniture (what there was of it) to accommodate my new purchases. It looked great. Friends came [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/opinion/life_as_a_happy_single_person/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://jewishaction.com/content/uploads/ja_spr08_singleB85.jpg 85w, https://jewishaction.com/content/uploads/ja_spr08_singleB85-50x50.jpg 50w", "sizes": "(max-width: 85px) 100vw, 85px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://jewishaction.com/content/uploads/ja_spr08_singleB85.jpg" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/food/recipes/", "name": "Recipes" } ] }, "title": "Welcoming Spring", "excerpt": "<p>The arrival of spring ushers in new, lighter foods. Your taste buds will surely appreciate some of these refreshing spring recipes. Hummus 8 appetizer servings, approximately 14 hors d’oeuvres servings, approximately This dish is especially tasty when served with cucumbers, radishes, bell peppers and toasted pita triangles. 8 unpeeled garlic cloves, wrapped in foil 15-ounce [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/food/recipes/welcoming_spring/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_300,h_170,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679422874/Jewishaction/hummus/hummus.jpg?_i=AA 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_635,h_361,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679422874/Jewishaction/hummus/hummus.jpg?_i=AA 635w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679422874/Jewishaction/hummus/hummus.jpg?_i=AA 777w", "sizes": "(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679422874/Jewishaction/hummus/hummus.jpg?_i=AA" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/health/", "name": "Health" }, { "uri": "/category/religion/shabbat-holidays/passover/", "name": "Passover" } ] }, "title": "Avoiding the Pesach Pounds", "excerpt": "<p>I’ve heard it said that Jewish history can be summed up like this: Someone tried to destroy us, </p>\n", "uri": "/health/avoiding_the_pesach_pounds/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_300,h_199,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679422726/Jewishaction/scale/scale.jpg?_i=AA 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_635,h_423,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679422726/Jewishaction/scale/scale.jpg?_i=AA 635w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679422726/Jewishaction/scale/scale.jpg?_i=AA 1600w", "sizes": "(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679422726/Jewishaction/scale/scale.jpg?_i=AA" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/jewish-world/israel/", "name": "Israel" }, { "uri": "/category/yom-haatzmaut/", "name": "Yom Haatzmaut" } ] }, "title": "Dream or Disappointment?", "excerpt": "<p>The Jewish State was conceived in dreams—dreams of a glorious past and hopes for an even more glorious future. Only dreamers, disdainful of reality and inspired </p>\n", "uri": "/jewish-world/israel/dream_or_disappointment/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_300,h_199,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412148/Jewishaction/israeli-flag/israeli-flag.jpg?_i=AA 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412148/Jewishaction/israeli-flag/israeli-flag.jpg?_i=AA 425w", "sizes": "(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412148/Jewishaction/israeli-flag/israeli-flag.jpg?_i=AA" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/jewish-world/israel/", "name": "Israel" }, { "uri": "/category/yom-haatzmaut/", "name": "Yom Haatzmaut" } ] }, "title": "A Love Story in Anticipation of a Happy Ending", "excerpt": "<p>Twenty years ago Jewish Action devoted the better part of an issue to analyzing “Israel at Forty.” At the time, the mood was cautiously optimistic and there was a strong sense of Jewish unity. Unfortunately, in Israel today the scene is quite different. One sees much conflict and confusion; there seems to be a pervasive [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/jewish-world/israel/a_love_story_in_anticipation_of_a_happy_ending/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_300,h_225,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412624/Jewishaction/mt-neba/mt-neba.jpg?_i=AA 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_635,h_476,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412624/Jewishaction/mt-neba/mt-neba.jpg?_i=AA 635w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412624/Jewishaction/mt-neba/mt-neba.jpg?_i=AA 884w", "sizes": "(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412624/Jewishaction/mt-neba/mt-neba.jpg?_i=AA" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/jewish-world/israel/", "name": "Israel" }, { "uri": "/category/yom-haatzmaut/", "name": "Yom Haatzmaut" } ] }, "title": "And Yet….", "excerpt": "<p>One of the most hackneyed things one can say about Israel is that it is a land of contrasts, which is, perhaps, a polite way of saying that it is a land of contradictions; and that, in turn, may be a polite way of saying that Israel is not a normal country, despite the best [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/jewish-world/israel/and_yet/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_300,h_199,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412148/Jewishaction/israeli-flag/israeli-flag.jpg?_i=AA 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412148/Jewishaction/israeli-flag/israeli-flag.jpg?_i=AA 425w", "sizes": "(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412148/Jewishaction/israeli-flag/israeli-flag.jpg?_i=AA" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/jewish-world/israel/", "name": "Israel" }, { "uri": "/category/yom-haatzmaut/", "name": "Yom Haatzmaut" }, { "uri": "/category/yom-hazikoron/", "name": "Yom Hazikaron" } ] }, "title": "On and Off the Beaten Track in … Gush Etzion", "excerpt": "<p>Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day), two consecutive days in May, dramatize both the pain of sacrifice and the joy of having a Jewish state. These conflicting emotions are encapsulated in the Gush Etzion region.</p>\n", "uri": "/jewish-world/israel/on_and_off_the_beaten_track_in_gush_etzion/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_300,h_114,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412594/Jewishaction/Haelef2/Haelef2.jpg?_i=AA 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_635,h_241,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412594/Jewishaction/Haelef2/Haelef2.jpg?_i=AA 635w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412594/Jewishaction/Haelef2/Haelef2.jpg?_i=AA 1533w", "sizes": "(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679412594/Jewishaction/Haelef2/Haelef2.jpg?_i=AA" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/jewish-world/israel/", "name": "Israel" }, { "uri": "/category/books/reviews/", "name": "Reviews" }, { "uri": "/category/yom-hazikoron/", "name": "Yom Hazikaron" } ] }, "title": "God, Israel, & Shiloh: Returning to the Land", "excerpt": "<p>In the winter of 2001, David Rubin and his three-year-old son Reuven (“Ruby”) were driving on Patriarch’s Road from Jerusalem to their home in Shiloh, the route taken by Abraham and Sarah on their journey from Haran down into Egypt, when a hail of bullets suddenly sprayed into the car.</p>\n", "uri": "/jewish-world/israel/god_israel_shiloh_returning_to_the_land/", "featuredImage": null }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/health/", "name": "Health" } ] }, "title": "Pediatric Obesity: A Challenge for the Orthodox Jewish Community", "excerpt": "<p>Ask any parent to name the greatest health risk they fear for their children, and most likely the answer will be “cancer.” But in reality, a much more dangerous health risk faces our children today, one, in fact, for which we—as parents and as a community—are largely responsible: obesity.1 Obesity kills more Americans each year [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/health/pediatric_obesity_a_challenge_for_the_orthodox_jewish_community/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_300,h_157,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679404132/Jewishaction/obesity/obesity.png?_i=AA 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_398,h_210,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679404132/Jewishaction/obesity/obesity.png?_i=AA 398w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679404132/Jewishaction/obesity/obesity.png?_i=AA 400w", "sizes": "(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679404132/Jewishaction/obesity/obesity.png?_i=AA" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/health/", "name": "Health" } ] }, "title": "Frum and Fit: Are We Fulfilling Our Torah Obligation to Take Care of Our Bodies?", "excerpt": "<p>Many Orthodox Jews seem to think that as long as the food is kosher, what one eats is not so important. They believe that if having five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily were vital to our health, that fact would have made its way into the Torah. Truthfully, it’s simply convenient to think [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/health/frum_and_fit_are_we_fulfilling_our_torah_obligation_to_take_care_of_our_bod/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_300,h_200,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679414679/Jewishaction/veggies/veggies.jpg?_i=AA 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679414679/Jewishaction/veggies/veggies.jpg?_i=AA 500w", "sizes": "(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679414679/Jewishaction/veggies/veggies.jpg?_i=AA" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/family/marriage/", "name": "Marriage" }, { "uri": "/category/opinion/", "name": "Opinion" }, { "uri": "/category/religion/", "name": "Religion" } ] }, "title": "An Unintentional Intermarriage", "excerpt": "<p>A strange thing happened on the way to my becoming a ba’alat teshuvah: I discovered I was not a Jew. I made this discovery about fifteen years ago at the happy and lively Shabbat table of an engaging kiruv rabbi and his family, another one of those inspiring Shabbat meals that had attracted us to [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/religion/an_unintentional_intermarriage/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_300,h_225,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679426292/Jewishaction/chuppah/chuppah.jpg?_i=AA 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_635,h_476,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679426292/Jewishaction/chuppah/chuppah.jpg?_i=AA 635w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679426292/Jewishaction/chuppah/chuppah.jpg?_i=AA 640w", "sizes": "(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1679426292/Jewishaction/chuppah/chuppah.jpg?_i=AA" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/opinion/", "name": "Opinion" }, { "uri": "/category/religion/shabbat-holidays/passover/", "name": "Passover" } ] }, "title": "Leaving Egypt in Romania", "excerpt": "<p>It was the first night of Pesach, and on a holiday that celebrates questions, I began by asking one. “Where are we tonight?” We were 150 people, participants in a communal Seder I led last year in Timisoara, a Romanian city in the western part of the country near the Hungarian border. We were in [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/opinion/a_passover_visa/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://jewishaction.com/content/uploads/pyraimd_thumb.jpg 85w, https://jewishaction.com/content/uploads/pyraimd_thumb-50x50.jpg 50w", "sizes": "(max-width: 85px) 100vw, 85px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://jewishaction.com/content/uploads/pyraimd_thumb.jpg" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/jewish-world/history/", "name": "History" } ] }, "title": "What’s the Truth about … the Uganda Plan?", "excerpt": "<p>Misconception: The early Zionists were offered, and nearly accepted, Uganda as the Jewish homeland. This demonstrates that Zionist Leader Theodor (Benjamin Ze’ev) Herzl supporters were indifferent to the historic Jewish homeland and did not appreciate the unique relationship between the Jews and the Land of Israel. Fact: None of the land offered by the British [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/jewish-world/history/whats_the_truth_about_the_uganda_plan/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": null, "sizes": "(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1704005988/Jewishaction/ugandaMap_thumb/ugandaMap_thumb.gif?_i=AA" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/opinion/", "name": "Opinion" }, { "uri": "/category/religion/shabbat-holidays/passover/", "name": "Passover" } ] }, "title": "The Art of Leading a Seder", "excerpt": "<p>Participating in a Seder comes naturally to those who grew up in observant families or who had the benefit of a Jewish day school education. But what about ba’alei teshuvah or those who don’t have an extensive Jewish background? What if the guests at your Seder don’t know much about Pesach? Anyone with the proper [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/opinion/the_art_of_leading_a_seder/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_300,h_200,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679405953/Jewishaction/AdobeStock_80988960_227473521a/AdobeStock_80988960_227473521a.jpeg?_i=AA 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_1024,h_683,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679405953/Jewishaction/AdobeStock_80988960_227473521a/AdobeStock_80988960_227473521a.jpeg?_i=AA 1024w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_768,h_512,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679405953/Jewishaction/AdobeStock_80988960_227473521a/AdobeStock_80988960_227473521a.jpeg?_i=AA 768w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_1536,h_1024,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679405953/Jewishaction/AdobeStock_80988960_227473521a/AdobeStock_80988960_227473521a.jpeg?_i=AA 1536w, https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_2048,h_1365,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679405953/Jewishaction/AdobeStock_80988960_227473521a/AdobeStock_80988960_227473521a.jpeg?_i=AA 2048w", "sizes": "(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://res.cloudinary.com/ouwp/images/w_2560,h_1707,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1679405953/Jewishaction/AdobeStock_80988960_227473521a/AdobeStock_80988960_227473521a.jpeg?_i=AA" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/jewish-world/people/", "name": "People" } ] }, "title": "Better Than an Agent", "excerpt": "<p>If God ever needed a PR person to handle the foreign account, He found it in Binyamin Jolkovsky. We all know who is in charge of the domestic part of the PR operation for Torah interests. If we wanted to showcase Judaism to Jews who know little or nothing about authentic Judaism, we would send [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/jewish-world/people/better_than_an_agent/", "featuredImage": null }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/jewish-world/israel/", "name": "Israel" } ] }, "title": "A Reflection On An Imperfect Success", "excerpt": "<p>Any evaluation of Israel at sixty must weigh the reality of the State against the Messianic expectations of a large segment of Orthodox Jews. For those who envisioned that the State would herald the Messianic Era, there’s bound to be disillusionment. After the tragedy of the Holocaust, the establishment of the State gave the Jewish [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/jewish-world/israel/a_reflection_on_an_imperfect_success/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://jewishaction.com/content/uploads/ethio_girls_85.jpg 85w, https://jewishaction.com/content/uploads/ethio_girls_85-50x50.jpg 50w", "sizes": "(max-width: 85px) 100vw, 85px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://jewishaction.com/content/uploads/ethio_girls_85.jpg" } } }, { "categories": { "nodes": [ { "uri": "/category/jewish-world/israel/", "name": "Israel" }, { "uri": "/category/jewish-world/people/", "name": "People" } ] }, "title": "Rabbi Mordechai Piron: Israel’s Rabbi on the Front lines", "excerpt": "<p>General Mordechai Piron fought in four Israeli wars without a grenade, M-16 or Uzi. Armed with a holy sefer Torah and the power of an encouraging word, for thirty-four years the former chief rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) placed himself in mortal danger on front line after perilous front line to support thousands [&hellip;]</p>\n", "uri": "/jewish-world/people/rabbi_mordechai_piron_israels_rabbi_on_the_front_lines/", "featuredImage": { "node": { "srcSet": "https://jewishaction.com/content/uploads/piron_85.jpg 85w, https://jewishaction.com/content/uploads/piron_85-50x50.jpg 50w", "sizes": "(max-width: 85px) 100vw, 85px", "altText": "", "sourceUrl": "https://jewishaction.com/content/uploads/piron_85.jpg" } } } ] } }
Volume # 0

Spring 2008(5768)

In this issue
Life As a Happy Single Person
Opinion

Life As a Happy Single Person

I bought couches. They are beige, with button detail on the sides and dark wood trim. I bought a variety of pillows to go on them, chocolate brown and light blue—silk, suede and cotton. I rearranged the living room furniture (what there was of it) to accommodate my new purchases. It looked great. Friends came […]

Welcoming Spring
Recipes

Welcoming Spring

The arrival of spring ushers in new, lighter foods. Your taste buds will surely appreciate some of these refreshing spring recipes. Hummus 8 appetizer servings, approximately 14 hors d’oeuvres servings, approximately This dish is especially tasty when served with cucumbers, radishes, bell peppers and toasted pita triangles. 8 unpeeled garlic cloves, wrapped in foil 15-ounce […]

Dream or Disappointment?
Israel

Dream or Disappointment?

The Jewish State was conceived in dreams—dreams of a glorious past and hopes for an even more glorious future. Only dreamers, disdainful of reality and inspired

A Love Story in Anticipation of a Happy Ending
Israel

A Love Story in Anticipation of a Happy Ending

Twenty years ago Jewish Action devoted the better part of an issue to analyzing “Israel at Forty.” At the time, the mood was cautiously optimistic and there was a strong sense of Jewish unity. Unfortunately, in Israel today the scene is quite different. One sees much conflict and confusion; there seems to be a pervasive […]

And Yet….
Israel

And Yet….

One of the most hackneyed things one can say about Israel is that it is a land of contrasts, which is, perhaps, a polite way of saying that it is a land of contradictions; and that, in turn, may be a polite way of saying that Israel is not a normal country, despite the best […]

On and Off the Beaten Track in … Gush Etzion
Israel

On and Off the Beaten Track in … Gush Etzion

Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day), two consecutive days in May, dramatize both the pain of sacrifice and the joy of having a Jewish state. These conflicting emotions are encapsulated in the Gush Etzion region.

Israel

God, Israel, & Shiloh: Returning to the Land

In the winter of 2001, David Rubin and his three-year-old son Reuven (“Ruby”) were driving on Patriarch’s Road from Jerusalem to their home in Shiloh, the route taken by Abraham and Sarah on their journey from Haran down into Egypt, when a hail of bullets suddenly sprayed into the car.

Pediatric Obesity: A Challenge for the Orthodox Jewish Community
Health

Pediatric Obesity: A Challenge for the Orthodox Jewish Community

Ask any parent to name the greatest health risk they fear for their children, and most likely the answer will be “cancer.” But in reality, a much more dangerous health risk faces our children today, one, in fact, for which we—as parents and as a community—are largely responsible: obesity.1 Obesity kills more Americans each year […]

An Unintentional Intermarriage
Marriage

An Unintentional Intermarriage

A strange thing happened on the way to my becoming a ba’alat teshuvah: I discovered I was not a Jew. I made this discovery about fifteen years ago at the happy and lively Shabbat table of an engaging kiruv rabbi and his family, another one of those inspiring Shabbat meals that had attracted us to […]

Leaving Egypt in Romania
Opinion

Leaving Egypt in Romania

It was the first night of Pesach, and on a holiday that celebrates questions, I began by asking one. “Where are we tonight?” We were 150 people, participants in a communal Seder I led last year in Timisoara, a Romanian city in the western part of the country near the Hungarian border. We were in […]

What’s the Truth about … the Uganda Plan?
History

What’s the Truth about … the Uganda Plan?

Misconception: The early Zionists were offered, and nearly accepted, Uganda as the Jewish homeland. This demonstrates that Zionist Leader Theodor (Benjamin Ze’ev) Herzl supporters were indifferent to the historic Jewish homeland and did not appreciate the unique relationship between the Jews and the Land of Israel. Fact: None of the land offered by the British […]

The Art of Leading a Seder
Opinion

The Art of Leading a Seder

Participating in a Seder comes naturally to those who grew up in observant families or who had the benefit of a Jewish day school education. But what about ba’alei teshuvah or those who don’t have an extensive Jewish background? What if the guests at your Seder don’t know much about Pesach? Anyone with the proper […]

People

Better Than an Agent

If God ever needed a PR person to handle the foreign account, He found it in Binyamin Jolkovsky. We all know who is in charge of the domestic part of the PR operation for Torah interests. If we wanted to showcase Judaism to Jews who know little or nothing about authentic Judaism, we would send […]

A Reflection On An Imperfect Success
Israel

A Reflection On An Imperfect Success

Any evaluation of Israel at sixty must weigh the reality of the State against the Messianic expectations of a large segment of Orthodox Jews. For those who envisioned that the State would herald the Messianic Era, there’s bound to be disillusionment. After the tragedy of the Holocaust, the establishment of the State gave the Jewish […]

Rabbi Mordechai Piron: Israel’s Rabbi on the Front lines
Israel

Rabbi Mordechai Piron: Israel’s Rabbi on the Front lines

General Mordechai Piron fought in four Israeli wars without a grenade, M-16 or Uzi. Armed with a holy sefer Torah and the power of an encouraging word, for thirty-four years the former chief rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) placed himself in mortal danger on front line after perilous front line to support thousands […]