Jewish Blogs

The Kabbalah of Love

A single woman got some love advice from an Israeli Kabbalist in last weekend’s New York Times:I might have stopped being Orthodox, but its indoctrination had left me with the sense that nearly anything — God, spiritualists, healers, psychics and witches — might be equally possible. Thus I found myself in an airless Jerusalem classroom with this old rabbi, who had ...

The Joy of Repentance

Do you know anyone who relates to the idea of repentance with joy and happiness? Looking forward to that sore tuchas from sitting so long in synagogue? Can there be trepidation for the Day of Judgment and awe for the Day of Atonement and also an uplifted positive spirit? You bet your sore tuchas.It’s all a matter of focus. When ...

The Joy of Life

King David said, “Mibsari echze Elokai. From my flesh, I perceive Hashem.” The Chovot Halevavot notes that the physical part of man a wonder. Hashem also gave us wondrous intelligence and the powers of recollection, differentiation, and perception. Our intellect distinguishes us from other living creatures.The Shemoneh Esrei is divided into three sections: praise, supplication, and thanks. All the blessings associated with ...

The Jews of Eastern Europe–Online

Last night, I attended the opening event for an amazing new informational Jewish website, the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research’s online version of their Encyclopedia of the Jews in Eastern Europe. Having seen a full demonstration of how the site functions, I can honestly say that this is one of the most innovative Jewish websites on the internet today.Read More: @ ...

The Jewish Zen of Steve Jobs

For many years I’ve been writing and speaking about the impact of technology on Jewish life. In 1995 I had the idea to use email (it was still fairly new at the time) to ask random people around the world to wish my brother congratulations on his upcoming bar mitzvah. The response was overwhelming and it got me thinking about ...

The Jewish Pork Cookbook

I’m a vegetarian, but if I wanted a really great pork recipe, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t head right over to the Israeli cookbook section of my local bookstore. Or to the kosher section, for that matter.There’s actually a law on the books in Israel making it illegal to sell pork (though I know plenty of Israelis who have gotten ...

The Jewish Flavor of Maurice Sendak

A few months after my first child was born, I went to a bookstore to buy a few books that I thought needed to be on the bookshelf of my new baby’s nursery. Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” was one of those books.A childhood favorite of mine, I knew the day would come when I would read it ...

The Jewish Flame – Free Torah Classes

The Jewish Flame, a Jewish education organization, will be holding its annual Summer IThe Jewish Flame, a Jewish education organization, will be holding its annual Summer Institute again this year. Four nights a week in Manhattan, you can learn any aspect of Judaism that interests you. Whether you’d like to learn Bible, Midrash, Jewish Wisdom or Jewish Philosophy, there will ...

The Jewish Classroom, More Wired Than Ever

Many 30- and 40-year-olds will remember when a cart with a computer and monitor was wheeled into the classroom and students formed a single line waiting for a chance to use the device for a few minutes. Perhaps it was typing out a few lines of code in BASIC to move the cursor several inches along the screen, or perhaps ...

The Jewish Answer to Posthumous Baptisms

So. The Mormon practice of posthumously baptizing dead Jews.I think how I stated it pretty clearly how I feel about it in this post from 2008.I’m not even really sure how such a thing can even be done, since even I know that baptism has something to do with dunking a person in water (a ritual likely inspired by the ...

The Jerusalem Passport Dispute

None of the news articles mention that Naomi (Siegman) Zivotofsky and Alyza Lewin were college friends and classmates, part of an overachieving cadre that also included the Shalem Center’s Yoram & Yael (Julie) Hazony, Dan Polisar, and Evelyn Gordon (who has also written for the JPost, Commentary magazine and others).[I would mention more, but I’m sure I’ll forget someone.] So ...

The Jeremy Lin Problem and Rav Soloveitchik

Is Jeremy Lin Jewish? No, he is not a Jew.David Brooks quotes our teacher Rav Soloveitchik to explain the “problem” facing Knick basketball player and religious person Jeremy Lin.This matter merits some Talmudic analysis. First, we don’t have a clue what Brooks means in the essay. It has something to do with being religious and being a sports star. Somehow ...