An excellent scholarly essay by Rabbi Norman Strickman, professor of Jewish Studies at Touro College, peaked my interest in the legacy of Judah Ha-Levi the famed rabbi and leader of 1,000 years ago … more

Another week, another centennial. Following the Balfour Declaration’s milestone, it’s now time to look back on the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, where a communist insurrection in … more

What role does the synagogue play in people’s lives? Here are several models. The ‘hospital’ synagogue: This refers to people who come to the synagogue in emergencies — … more

Google the phrase “Europe’s Childless Leaders,” and you’ll find quite a few articles, written about a year ago, discussing the fact that a significant number of European heads … more

Towards the beginning of Parashat Tzav we find a depiction of the general korban mincha (“meal offering”), and a similar personal offering brought by the High Priest, Aharon. Both … more

My dad told me that every Friday my grandmother cooked two meals in tandem — Shabbat chicken, or brisket, or “gadempte fleische,” on one side of her tiny counter and, in her big, … more

Bernie Sanders and Michael Bloomberg both want to be the nation’s first Jewish president. But they couldn’t possibly be more different. Sanders is a socialist who is hoping to lead … more

Last week’s disaster in Beirut epitomizes everything that is wrong with Lebanon. But we dodn’t have to wait for an investigation into the explosion at the Beirut port that left more … more

Chava bears two children, Kayin (Cain) and Hevel, and each takes on a profession. Time passes, Kayin brings an offering to G-d, and Hevel follows suit. Then the Torah describes these … more

With parshat Tetzaveh, something new enters Judaism: Torat Kohanim, the world and mindset of the priest. Rapidly it becomes a central dimension of Judaism. It dominates the next book of the … more