What Do You Call The Seventh Day?
What do you call the Seventh Day, the Day of Rest? Some people call it “Shabbat” and greet their friends and neighbors with a hearty “Shabbat Shalom.” Others refer to it as “Shabbos” and…
You Say Tomay’to, I Say Tomah’to
Just as Jews from different countries have different ritual customs, so too do their prayerbooks have slight but important variations. The different formats of the prayer service is known…
Sir Moses Montefiore
Sir Moses Montefiore (1784-1885) had an extraordinary impact on the world. Beginning a career in general business, Montefiore quickly gained one of the 12 brokers licenses allowed to…
35th Annual Dinner – Sunday, April 30th
Thanks for Joining UsNJOP's 35th Annual DinnerSUNDAY, April 30th, 6PM EDT Watch NowDonate Donate NowHonor RollInteract with the list by tapping, clicking, scrolling or swiping.……
Fleeing in the New World
The history of the conversos, those Spanish and Portuguese Jews who hid their identities by publicly behaving as observant Catholics, is tragic not only for the horrible auto-de-fes (mass…
Sir Moses Montefiore
Sir Moses Montefiore (1784-1885) had an extraordinary impact on the world. Beginning a career in general business, Montefiore quickly gained one of the 12 brokers licenses allowed to Jews…
Celebrating a Daughter
On his 8th day of life, a baby boy has his brit milah (circumcision) and is given a Jewish name. But how do Jews celebrate the birth of a girl? While there are no mandatory…
A Love Song For Shabbat
The relationship between God and the Jewish people is often compared to a marriage. This is one of the reasons why Lecha Dodi (Come My Beloved)*, the refrain of which refers to…
The Charleston Synagogue(s)
Charleston, South Carolina is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the United States. The 1669 charter for the Carolina Colony explicitly included liberty of conscious for…
Coming to California
When we think of California today, we think of perfect weather, beautiful beaches and Hollywood stars. Before these modern dreams, however, California was a land of wild settlers who had…