Tisha b’Av
This Saturday at sunset, we begin to observe the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. Known as the Fast of the 9th of Av (Tisha b’Av), the observances of the day are very similar to Yom…
“A Day that will Live in Infamy”
In one of the 20th centuries most memorable and impactful speeches, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called the previous day, December 7, 1941, “A day that will live in infamy” due to…
Mourning Jerusalem I: A Brief History of the First Temple
Jews all over the world will be observing the fast of Tisha b’Av on this coming Saturday night and Sunday. It is on Tisha b’Av that the Jewish people mourn the destruction of both the…
The Kindness of Meah She’arim
On trips to Israel, many travel to the quaint Jerusalem neighborhood known as Meah She’arim. Meah She’arim is home of the Yerushalmi “ultra-Orthodox” community who seek insularity and…
The Gateway Sin
Those who debate the issue of legalizing certain types of drugs, will often encounter the notion of a “gateway drug,” something that, by itself seems somewhat benign, but may lead to the…
North Star State’s First Jewish Senator
Rudolph Ely Boschwitz was born on November 7, 1930 in Berlin, Germany to his Jewish parents Lucy (Dawidowicz) and Eli. When he was 3, coinciding with Hitler’s rise to power, the Boschwitz…
The Ba’al Ha’turim
Spain in the Middle Ages was home to scholars of great renown such as Abraham ibn Ezra (1089 - c. 1164), Judah ha-Levi (1086-1145), Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides/Rambam 1135-1204)…
“The Rebbe”
Jews worldwide observe the yahrzeit (anniversary of death) of the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of blessed memory, on the 3rd of Tammuz, which is observed…
Hotline
Legendary Jewish comedian Mort Sahl shared the following anecdote during an appearance on the Merv Griffin show: Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, while meeting with President Ronald…
Batman and the Torah
On May 1st, 1939, the cartoon character, Batman appeared for the first time in Detective Comics, #27. As such, May 1st is known the world over as “Batman Day.” If you Google “bat” and…