A friend of mine, who’s the daughter of Chinese immigrants and married to another immigrant, recently decided that she would no longer buy her daughter a Barbie doll if it didn’t … more

From the start of Genesis, we have been reading one long story extending over many centuries. It began with the creation of man and proceeded with the narrative of the transformation of a small … more

We’ve heard the clichés that are used to convey the importance of social groups and realization that people cannot “go at it alone” — “No man is an … more

Donald Trump was elected four years ago because Americans wanted to save their country. Both in domestic and foreign policy, in the eighth year of Barack Obama’s presidency, America was … more

An interesting cast of characters have parshas named for them: Noach, Yisro, Korach, Balak, Pinchas (Chayei Sarah includes a name, which comes after her death). Each has his own story of … more

Michael Oren, Israel’s former ambassador to the United States who is now a candidate to head the Jewish Agency, has rightly said that the decline in support for Israel among … more

Eight decades after the Nazi attempt to murder all of European Jewry, the ranks of the survivors have thinned to the point where we know that it won’t be long before we will be holding such … more

How does one make life meaningful? How do we make sure that we are living every moment to its fullest potential? This week’s portion, Shemos, contains a powerful indication to Judaism’s … more

That old image of the Jewish family with a packed suitcase at the ready in case they are compelled to suddenly leave their home has returned with a vengeance across Europe. In France and … more

From the other side of the bench By David Seidemann Issue of August 29, 2008 The melodies are haunting — evoking feelings first experienced in the Holy Temple thousands of years ago. … more