Rabbi Norman Lamm, one of the most articulate leaders of the Orthodox rabbinate, is legendary for his eloquent, finely-crafted derashot. Each of his sermons is a gem, and taken together are a tour-de-force of Jewish thought
Q: As someone who follows a kosher diet, I want to know, are there any vitamins and minerals that I should take? A: There is nothing inherent in a Torah lifestyle that would preclude following a healthy diet. In fact, since we’re commanded to take care of our bodies, choosing nutritious foods while limiting less […]
A gripping tale, an uplifting, inspiring story. Out of the Depths is all of this and more, as it chronicles the miraculous saga of former Israeli Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau’s survival and triumph.
Dr. Benzion Sorotzkin Responds In his article “Why Aren’t Our Kids in Shul?” (summer 2011), Rabbi Dr. Jay Goldmintz writes the following: One of the most powerful pieces of research I have read on the subject is from studies done on church attendance: “Most children regard worship as uninteresting and boring, nevertheless, it is the children […]
Journalist Michael Freund converses with Israel’s former chief rabbi about the Israeli scene, anti-Semitism, and the recent translation into English of his remarkable memoir Out of the Depths: The Story of a Child of Buchenwald Who Returned Home at Last. Jewish Action: A few years ago, you wrote a book in Hebrew about your experiences […]
By Tamar Snyder In the not too distant past, three frum children—ages nine, twelve, and fifteen—shuffled into the Masbia kosher soup kitchen in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. Despite the warm ambiance and restaurant feel, the children sat huddled over the table, clearly uncomfortable. They quickly gulped down their food, not bothering with small talk. […]
While a job can be a way of contributing great things to the community and the world, I caution against using one’s career as the principal way of defining oneself.
Starting in late 2007, the United States, together with much of the world, suffered a steep recession. While the economy began to recover in 2009, growth has not translated into new jobs. Two years into the recovery, unemployment in the US is still over 9 percent. America’s employment problems have not spared the […]
In one of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan’s books on Jewish meditation, he asks where meditation is mentioned in the Torah. He goes on to say that some things were so obvious to our ancestors, they did not have to be stated outright. The concepts were known to all. Finances are in the same category. Certain notions […]
It is certainly awful to lose one’s job, but it is worse to lose one’s self.
When Laizer Solash, from Far Rockaway, New York, lost his job three years ago, he was ready to do just about anything to support his wife and four children. Never in a million years could he have imagined that he’d be making his dough by baking it. Now he’s putting bread on everyone’s table! Successful […]
By Dave Felsenthal Few personal letters still arrive by “snail-mail,” but the pile of catalogs, announcements and requests for donations seems to be growing. Who is sending those solicitation envelopes, and how should you respond? At a wedding last summer in Manhattan, I shared a table with my old friend Danny. We […]
On the long flight to California, my husband shares with me a Business Week article on the dismal economy. Our discussion drifts to its effect on the middle class and specifically on our children. When we arrive at our daughter’s modest home, the boxes lining her front walkway are an eyesore. I expect my husband […]
JOHANNESBURG — Shortly before I began a visit to South Africa late last year, my first time in the once-reviled nation that had emerged from the darkness of apartheid sixteen years earlier, I noticed an interesting online article datelined Johannesburg. A new eruv was being built, and there was opposition from some Johannesburg residents. Old […]
Rav Ahron Soloveichik, zt”l, 1917-2001 Photo: Yeshiva University Archives My grandfather was famous. At some point in my life, I figured that out. Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik was the youngest son of Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik, an esteemed rabbi in a long dynasty of Jewish scholars. But I never saw him that way. As a child wiling […]
On Sunday evening, January 29th, 2012, NCSY’s Ben Zakkai Honor Society will be honoring the legacy of Rabbi Ahron and Rebbetzin Ella Soloveichik. Why, you may rightly ask, should Ben Zakkai be the venue for the Orthodox Union to celebrate this remarkable couple’s extraordinary contributions? February 1966, Manhattan’s West Side: The Ben Zakkai Honor Society […]
The Af-Al-Pi Chen was one of the ships that participated in the struggle to bring Jews to Eretz Yisrael clandestinely during and after WWII. Today, it serves as a museum that dramatically tells the story of the heroic efforts to defy the British blockade. Photos: www.sasson-photos.com. In the aftermath of the Shoah, hundreds of thousands […]
Masa helps students strengthen their Jewish identity and develop a lifelong love of Israel. While a good percentage of Orthodox high school graduates flock to the Holy Land each fall, there are tens of thousands more who don’t even care to go. Masa Israel Journey is helping to change that. “I didn’t see much value […]
Noach was a tzaddik. Tamim hayah—he was complete, perfect. His family alone merited to survive the Great Flood that destroyed his generation. Life as we know it was reborn and recreated through Noach, the great patriarch of humanity. But Noach’s legacy is not that of a patriarch. That title belongs to Avraham, his son Yitzchak […]
By Shira Smiles Feldheim Publishers Jerusalem, 2010 224 pages Reviewed by Holly Pavlov Shira Smiles is a well-known name in Jewish education, and has been one for many years. Torah Tapestries, her newly published book on Sefer Bereishit, is her latest contribution to the Torah world. In this book, Smiles provides the reader with an […]
How do we reach estranged Jews with a Torah message in this post-Oprah world of self-help spirituality?
In his writings, Chaim Grade conveys a picture of Eastern European Jewry that he knew so well. While he was, by his own admission, far from observant, his artistic achievements are widely recognized. Many Jewish Action readers have read Grade’s works in translation, if not in the original, and will gain from learning more about […]
Misconception: One can fulfill the obligation to eat Seudah Shelishit (The Third Meal) on Shabbat by studying Torah in lieu of eating. FACT: The third Shabbat meal, Seudah Shelishit (colloquially termed “shalashudas”) is an obligatory meal that should ideally include bread. BACKGROUND: There is an obligation to eat three meals on Shabbat (Rambam, Shabbat 30:9; […]
By Jack (Yankl) Botwinik “Can we stop by the dollar store?” my nine-year-old pleads as we drive home from school. “I really need something for Ari’s party tomorrow, and I also need a police hat and a new gun for Purim.” When I was little, I watched in delight as my oldest brother created a […]
The past few years have seen a revival of the Israeli conversion dilemma, in which the status of people who convert to Judaism without becoming fully
The application of Shabbat laws to contemporary circumstances is no simple task. So much of daily life has changed over the past century, not least
Rabbi Daniel Sperber, professor of Talmud at Bar-Ilan University, rose to fame with the publication of his widely acclaimed and award-winning eight-volume study
If you’re looking for ways to stretch your food budget, especially when entertaining, here are some simple solutions to help you prepare delicious dishes for Chanukah—or any special occasion—that won’t break the bank!
Honey Garlic Meatballs
Yields 8 to 10 servings (about 5 dozen meatballs)
These meatballs are absolutely addictive! Adding club soda to the meat mixture produces a light-textured meatball. Serve these on a bed of your favorite pasta or orzo (rice-shaped pasta)—now that’s using your noodle if you want to fill up your guests without emptying your pockets!