Beauty and The Greeks
What does Noah’s son Yaphet have to do with the story of Chanukah and the mitzvah of circumcision? When the Syrian-Greeks sought to force Hellenization on the Judeans, one of the first…
Impeachment and the Jewish Tradition
On February 24, 1868, a U.S. president was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time. Three months later, the U.S. Senate acquitted President Andrew Johnson. 35…
The Royal Family and the Jews
On February 6, 1952, Queen Elizabeth II assumed the throne of “the United Kingdom and her other realms and Territories” upon the death of her father, King George VI. While the Queen is…
Vayeitzei 5773-2012
"The Complex Relationship Between Jacob, Rachel and Leah" In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeitzei, Jacob, who has fled from his father’s home in BeerSheba where Esau seeks to kill him,…
Shavuot ResourcesUncategorized
Laws and Customs of Shavuot
ShavuotLaws and Customs Table of Contents Festival Laws The Book of Ruth Customs Shavuot is a low-key, pensive holiday,…
Batsheva and David
The story of David and Batsheva is one of the most famous “romantic” stories in the Biblical canon, and one of the most controversial. Batsheva's first husband, Uriah, was a soldier in…
Tziporah and Elisheva
“Behind every great man...” So who were the women who gave their support to Moses and Aaron, the leaders of the Jewish people? Tziporah, Moses’ wife, was one of the seven daughters of…
Fathers and Time
Of the three patriarchs, the one with the briefest of appearances and the fewest mentions in the Biblical verses is certainly Isaac, son of Abraham and father to Jacob. A Talmudic passage…
God and Thanksgiving
Most people correctly associate Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims, Plymouth and the Native Americans with whom the Pilgrims shared a community. Yet, the original Thanksgiving in the United…
Rosh Hashana Resources,Rosh Hashana,JudaismJudaism,Rosh Hashana,Literacy
Hows and Whys
How's and Why's of Rosh Hashana Table of Contents Rosh Hashana What Happens on Rosh Hashana The Festive Meal The Service The…