Pea Zucchini Soup 6 servings A lovely thick soup of Italian origin, this recipe calls for non-seasonal ingredients. The soup freezes well and you can make it pareve or dairy. 4 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 pound zucchini, rinsed and trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 20 ounces frozen sweet peas, thawed […]
Sixteen years ago, I published an article in Jewish Action entitled “Breezes of Redemption.” It was reflective and hopeful, and predated the second intifada, the Expulsion from Gush Katif, the Second Lebanon War and endless reports of corruption in high places. Among the large national issues, I also wrote about my daughter, our first child. […]
“And tell me, where did you used to daven?” It was an innocent question, e-mailed by a stranger seeking my advice about something or other. As the e-mails flew between us, we discovered that we’d grown up in the same neighborhood. Small world, right? She followed up with the usual questions about my maiden name […]
Plan on attending your cousin’s Bar Mitzvah party next week? Or your neighbor’s daughter’s wedding next month? As an increasing number of semachot are catered at non-kosher hotels, it is important for the kosher consumer to be aware of what takes place in hotel kitchens. Indeed, oftentimes guests enjoy a lavish smorgasbord (replete with roast […]
Perhaps the most striking thing about the Jerusalem office of Nefesh B’Nefesh is its sparkling, corporate look. The quiet hum of phones ringing in the background, with rows of workers in cubicles pecking away at their keyboards, lends an aura of a thriving Fortune 500 company. But whereas corporate entities are often weighed down by […]
In a historic decision made a few months ago, the Israeli government ended its fifty-five-year-old agreement with the American Jewish community, and started to directly support aliyah programs in the West. To understand how remarkable this decision is, it is important to view it from a historical perspective. In 1950, David Ben-Gurion reluctantly signed an […]
This year we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the birth of the modern State of Israel. The reappearance of an independent Jewish nation after a 2,000-year-long galut (exile)—one that witnessed the ingathering of more than one-third of the Jewish people, the revival of an ancient language and the ever-growing fulfillment of “Ki miTzion tetzei Torah”—is […]
Dr. Avraham Meyer’s idea of a dream vacation is exploring his Manchester, England backyard and getting to sleep in his own bed for more than three nights in a row. For close to two decades, Dr. Meyer, the Orthodox Union’s (OU) Senior European rabbinic field representative (RFR), has been hopping planes, trains, taxis and cars […]
The rebbetzin’s creed should be similar to that of the physician: “Above all, do no harm.” The rest is commentary. Now for the commentary. First, a definition: for the purposes of this little exposition, I presume that by the term “rebbetzin,” we are referring not to the wife of any man who has semichah, but […]
David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, loved the desert. His love went hand in hand with a firm belief that the future of the State of Israel was linked to bringing Jewish life to the Negev, the desert region in the south of the country. He believed strongly in the economic potential of the Negev […]
Misconception: A newly married bride and groom are required to participate in sheva berachot (festive meals) each day for seven days. Fact: There is no obligation to have festive meals during the week following a wedding celebration. However, if the chatan (groom) and kallah (bride) participate in a festive meal made in their honor in […]
With the Super Bowl quickly approaching, Rabbi Ilan Feldman recalls how football brought a few fans to higher spiritual heights.
Perhaps it is because we live in twenty-first century America, a country largely immune from true epidemics, that we take vaccination for granted and some parents even consider not vaccinating their children. A Jew living in the eighteenth century would have longed for respite from the relentless onslaught […]
Q: I love Shabbat, but I hate that it’s become a battleground for my eating habits. I’m careful about dieting all week long, but when Friday comes around, I get thrown off course. Shabbat Chanukah is even more of a challenge with all the dreidel-shaped cookies and sufganiyot around. Please help! A: What you’re describing […]
For me, the excitement began from the minute we chose to go to the airport. I kept thinking about the soon-to-be olim. “It’s one more month before they get here,” or “this is their last Shabbat in North America,” went through my mind. As the date of their arrival approached, the anticipation grew. The night […]