Lions and Jerusalem Day

The original city of Jerusalem, conquered by King David from the Jebusites, is now known as Ir David, situated in the Silwan neighborhood, south of the Temple Mount. Over time, Jerusalem…

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The Feast of Weeks

Shavuot, which we begin celebrating this Sunday night (May 16, 2021), is the only holiday listed in the Torah without the date on which it is to be observed. Rather, the Torah states that…

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Preparing for the Torah

Shortly after the Israelites encamped at the base of Mount Sinai, they agreed to accept the Torah and do all that God had commanded. And so, God declared that He would bring Himself, in…

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Israeli-German Relations

On May 13, 1965, Israel officially established diplomatic relations with the Federal Republic of (West) Germany (FRG). This event is quite notable, since Israel was established in the…

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Dear Yenta: The Matchmaker (Shadchan)

“Matchmaker, matchmaker / Look through your book / And make me a perfect match…” (Fiddler on the Roof). With the widespread proliferation of internet dating sites such as eharmony,…

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On the 25th of Kislev

It is not uncommon to find that significant events in Jewish history occurred in different years but on the same day on the Jewish calendar. For instance, Tisha b’Av (9th of Av), the day…

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Tu b’Shevat

While it may seem as if winter has just begun, it may be a good time to invoke a bit of optimism and look beyond the turbulent weather and remember that spring is just around the corner.…

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Dancing on Ice

Competing for artistic and athletic mastery on ice has been part of the fun of winter long before the Winter Olympics, and Jews have often taken part in the joy of ice skating. In fact,…

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Shabbat Inspires

NJOP reached out to a diverse group of Jewish people and asked them to tell us what it is about Shabbat that keeps drawing them back to celebrate each week. View all of the videos below.…

A Comedic Original

“I once wanted to be an atheist, but I gave it up. They don’t have any holidays.” Henry “Henny” Youngman (originally Yungman) was the king of the one-liners and was one of the first…

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