A Chanukah Heroine
Who is Yehudit (Judith), the daughter of Yochanan the High Priest, who saved her city, Bethulia, from destruction at the hands of the Syrian-Greek general Holofernes? As the Jews in the…
Why Were Scouts of the Promised Land Needed?
The most devastating punishment meted out by God in the Torah is described in this week’s Torah portion, parashat Shelach. God commands Moses to send 12 scouts – one representing each…
The Chassidic Rebbe and His Snoopy Tie
On January 3, 2000, the final original edition of the “Peanuts” comic strip appeared in the daily edition of newspapers worldwide. For the followers of Charlie Brown and his gang, it was…
A Chanukah Heroine
Who is Yehudit (Judith), the daughter of Yochanan the High Priest, who saved her city, Bethulia, from destruction at the hands of the Syrian-Greek general Holofernes? As the Jews in the…
Mordecai Manuel Noah
While one of the founding principles of the United States of America is freedom of religion, any historian would agree that in the early days of the United States, this was often more…
The Book of Ruth
Ruth was the Moabite wife of Machlon, one of the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi, a wealthy Hebrew couple who had fled Bethlehem during a bitter famine. Elimelech’s family had settled in…
Lancaster Jews
Many people do not realize that Lancaster, Pennsylvania, home to the famous Amish community, was one of the few active Jewish communities during the colonial era and has the fourth oldest…
Mordecai Manuel Noah
While one of the founding principles of the United States of America is freedom of religion, any historian would agree that in the early days of the United States, this was often more…
The Book of Ruth
Ruth was the Moabite wife of Machlon, one of the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi, a wealthy Hebrew couple who had fled Bethlehem during a bitter famine. Elimelech’s family had settled in…
Adopting Moses
In this week’s Torah portion, Shemot, Pharaoh issues his edict directing the Jewish midwives; “When you deliver the Hebrew women, and you see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you…