Kosher –– What Is It?
Traditional Jews keep kosher. The laws of kashrut begin in the Torah. God instructs: Do not “boil a kid in its mother’s milk” (Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26 and Deuteronomy 14:21). God gives signs to...
View ArticleCan You Eat A Reptile?
Sometimes it is hard to know which animals you can eat and which you can’t when you are first trying to keep kosher. God denotes in the Torah what is kosher and what is not. When talking about mammals,...
View ArticleIsrael’s Leaders: Ben-Gurion
First in a 10-part series. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced in August that he will not re-run for the top position of his political party, Kadima. Both Tzippi Livni and Shaul Mofaz are...
View ArticleWho Was Yitzhak Rabin?
Yitzhak Rabin (1922-1995) was a complex Israeli leader. On the one hand, he was a top commander in the Palmach, the commando unit of the pre-state militia, and played an important role in the 1948 War...
View ArticleWho Was Menachem Begin?
When Menachem Begin became Prime Minister of Israel in 1977, it represented one of the biggest political comebacks in Israel’s history. The disciple of Vladimir (Ze’ev) Jabotinsky, the leader of the...
View ArticleWho Is Yitzhak Shamir?
Even though Yitzhak Shamir had the second longest tenure as prime minister of any Israel politician — only less than David Ben-Gurion — he is not often remembered as a dominant political figure. Mr....
View ArticleWho is Ariel Sharon?
Ariel Sharon is one of Israel’s most important military and political figures. He was wounded in the historic 1948 Battle of Latrun during the War of Independence. In the 1950s, he formed an elite...
View ArticleWho Is Shimon Peres?
Shimon Peres has had one of the longest political careers of any Israeli politician. He immigrated to Israel from Poland at age 11. While he took the Hagannah’s defense training, he never actively...
View ArticleWho Is Binyamin Netanyahu?
Binyamin “Bibi” Netanyahu is considered one of Israel’s most articulate political figures, particularly in English; he was educated both in Israel and the United States. In the 1980s, he served as an...
View ArticleWho Is Ehud Barak?
Ehud Barak, now Israel’s defense minister and a past prime minister (1999-2001), is the most decorated soldier ever to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. He was the youngest soldier to receive the...
View ArticleWho is Ehud Olmert?
Ehud Olmert is Israel’s outgoing prime minister. Having faced multiple corruption investigations, Mr. Olmert this past August announced that he would resign as head of the Kadimah Party and thus as...
View ArticleWhat’s With Tzitzit?
Many observant male Jews wear tzitzit –– the white fringes often seen hanging out over their pants — as a reminder of the Torah’s commandments. We learn this from Numbers 15:37-41, which is also the...
View ArticleAbraham: The Ultimate Host
This week we read Parshat Vayera (Bereshit 18-22). In the beginning of the selection, Abraham (or Avraham) is visited by three travelers (angels, we learn later). When he sees them approaching, he...
View ArticleSarah’s Amazing Life
This week we read the Torah portion Chayei Sarah (“The Life of Sarah”), which gains its title because at the beginning of the portion we learn that Sarah has died. We understand from various midrashim...
View ArticleWhat Can We Learn From Toldot?
This week when we go to synagogue we will read the Torah portion Toldot. A highlight of the portion is when Rebecca, who has waited 20 years to conceive, gives birth to Jacob and Esau. Jacob is...
View ArticleWho Is A Jew?
According to halachah or Jewish law, any child born to a Jewish mother is a Jew; the father’s religion or practices are irrelevant to the child’s status. The child is considered Jewish regardless of...
View ArticleSongs Of Blue and White
The Israeli flag hangs in most synagogues and Jewish day schools. We wave it on Israel Independence Day and use its blue-and-white color scheme on many of our Jewish decorations. The flag, inspired by...
View ArticleHoly Bathroom!
Did you know that observant Jews say a blessing after using the restroom? This blessing is called “Asher Yatzar,” which translates to “Who Formed.” The blessing refers to the complexity of the human...
View ArticleFour Holy Cities
We all know that Jerusalem is Judaism’s holiest city. It is the site of where the ancient great Temples stood. Here, on the Temple Mount, according to tradition, Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac. Today,...
View ArticleWhat’s An Aufruf?
It may resemble the kind of sound a dog emits when he or she wants to get attention. But the aufruf — which is Yiddish for the phrase “calling up” — is no joking matter but a sacred obligation and...
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