What’s in the Book: Ezekiel
The 48 chapters of the Book of Ezekiel are filled with wondrous visions. Ezekiel’s first vision is of a fiery chariot drawn by creatures with four faces (of a man, a lion, an ox and an…
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors?
The term “ghetto” has a sad connotation in Jewish history and a very negative association when referring to certain poor urban areas. The term’s etymology, however, originates from a…
Rejoice in Reverence: Play the Lottery
It would be the height of irreverence if one were to come to synagogue on Yom Kippur dressed in a light-hearted or comedic costume. Imagine chanting the deeply inspiring and…
A Jewish Treats Guide to Visiting the Zoo
Throughout the world, April 8th is celebrated as “Zoo Lovers Day.” The first zoo of record was built in 1752 at the behest of Emperor Francis I in Vienna, Austria. Although it was built…
Enabling Citizen Cain
Our weekly Torah reading has once again cycled back to the Book of Genesis, returning to the stories and moral lessons of the earliest days of civilization. In addition to the ethical…
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…
The Jewish Reveille
The first day of the Hebrew month of Elul, just two days away, brings with it a few changes to the prayer service, one of which is the blowing of the shofar every morning (except Shabbat…
Benjamin’s Great Journey
Today, when someone talks about traveling through Europe or Asia, it is hardly surprising. In fact, thousands of young adults do it every year. In the 12th century, however, traveling…
Our Obligation
On November 20, 1959, the United Nations adopted a resolution accepting the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. This ten-point declaration was based on a document created in Geneva in…
The Fast of Esther
"Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I and my maidens will also fast in like manner; and so…