Barbie’s Jewish Mother
One might easily wonder what Ruth Handler's reaction would have been to the recently released Barbies of various size. Having finally responded in 1997 to criticism about the original…
A Document Against Anti-Semitism
Fifty-two years ago on this day, October 28th, the Catholic Church officially stopped blaming the Jewish people for the death of Jesus. This ground-breaking statement came after more than…
Annulment of Vows
"I swear that this time I will lose weight" "I am going to pray every day..." We make promises all the time. We swear that we are going to do something, and then hope that we will be in…
The Paralympics’ Jewish Roots
The competitive spirit of this year’s Summer Games in Rio did not end with the Closing Ceremony. From September 7 - September 18, 2016, thousands of athletes with physical disabilities…
Jewish Judo
If you have tuned in to the Olympics, you have possibly glimpsed scenes from the numerous levels of the women’s Judo competition. While Judo has been part of the Olympic games since 1964,…
Anger Management
Rabbi Moses Maimonides (Rambam) writes that when a person becomes angry, it is regarded as if he had worshiped idols and that Gehenna (where souls are purified) will have…
The Tosafot Commentaries
One of the most fascinating aspects of Jewish study are the layer upon layer of enlightening and edifying commentaries that can be found when studying texts of the Torah or the Talmud. Of…
Einstein’s Jewish Life
Albert Einstein, whose yahrzeit is the 26th of Nissan (today), is one of the most admired men in history. His name and his face are almost universally recognized, and his scientific…
The Afikomen
Those who have attended a Passover Seder know that one of the most beloved Seder traditions is the hiding* of the afikomen, a specially designated half-piece of matzah. But what exactly…
Sand, Sun and Jewish History
In 1917, Saint Croix, Saint John and Saint Thomas (as well as the smaller surrounding islands) were transferred from the dominion of Denmark to the possession of the United States. As…