Community Ties
It is a commonly stated idea that, with the expansion of the world of social media, the idea of community has changed. Where once people turned to communal organizations for drawing them…
Birthday Cake For Shabbat
It is highly unlikely that Moses, Hillel or even Maimonides (all experts on Jewish law) ever worried about what to write on a child’s birthday cake.But different societies have different…
The Jews of Jamaica
As in many countries of the “New World,” the Jewish history of Jamaica begins with conversos, the secret Jews who fled Spain. They came to the New World seeking not only new…
Seek Out The Positive
An ethical dilemma: A close friend confides in you that he/she recently purchased an expensive, one-of-a-kind, nonreturnable item. When he/she shows it to you, you are immediately aware…
Ever feel nervous just before the start of a…Judah The Prince
Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers, begins: “Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it…
The Thirteen Principles
The United States Supreme Court decides whether laws conform or do not conform to the U.S. Constitution. Similarly, the ancient sages decided and interpreted halacha, Jewish law, based on…
Facing The Challenge
Laws about food, business, relationships, worship, time and even the way one should speak...Is Judaism all about laws, about doing this and not doing that? Human nature resists laws and…
Birthday Cake For Shabbat
It is highly unlikely that Moses, Hillel even Maimonides (all experts on Jewish law) ever worried about what to write on a child’s birthday cake. But different societies have different…
Community Ties
Recently, several news outlets have made human interest stories out of the growing trend of E-Worship--online religious communities. With video services and active chat rooms, these…