Hyman Bloom’s Unreal Rabbis

Posted on: October 28th, 2009

It is only appropriate to begin a Hyman Bloom review with a Chassidic tale. A young man left his village to train as a menorah maker says Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, and returned years later as a master designer. His father invited the local lamp makers to see his son's talents but grew angry when each guest found a different fault in his son's alleged masterpiece. The son then explained he had created the worst work imaginable. If the locals found just one fault each in his work, it was due to their blindness to their own aesthetic errors.

Kupferminc’s Wanderings

Posted on: October 21st, 2009

Mirta Kupferminc is an artist who has made her artistic mission a search for meaning in a world profoundly unstable, problematic and filled with the terrors of memory not entirely her own. As the child of Holocaust survivors, uprooted from Europe and transplanted in Argentina, one prevailing motif for her is that of a witness to the Holocaust one generation removed. A prominent text panel quotes Saul Sosnowski: " to be a witness who loves unconditionally; daring to judge G-d over Auschwitz and find him guilty; and pray to him still, even there, even in Auschwitz."

Does Daniel Levin Know the Location of the Second Temple Menorah?

Posted on: September 30th, 2009

There is no denying that Dan Brown has become one of the most successful contemporary writers on religious art. The Lost Symbol recently sold a million copies on its first day of release, and it would only take 81 such days to surpass total sales of The Da Vinci Code. Perhaps because of his success, many are less than impressed with Brown's writings. "Usually we read the script, but in this case it wasn't necessary," a spokesman for the Roman archdiocese told The Telegraph (UK), explaining why a permit was denied for filming "Angels and Demons" at one of its churches. "Just the name Dan Brown was enough."

Zeroing In On Blacklisted Jewish Actors

Posted on: September 16th, 2009

Though the members of the House Committee on Un-American Activities had a copy of Lucille Ball's signed 1936 communist registration card, they accepted her excuse that she joined the party just to please her grandfather, because her name wasn't Jaffe, Chodorov, Berman or Phillip Loeb. So says Jim Brochu in his one-man show about Samuel Joel "Zero" Mostel, which argues that McCarthyism overlapped to a large extent with anti-Semitism. "She could have called her show I Love Lenin and they would have forgiven her. And they did forgive her," he adds.

Remembering A Dear Friend: Rebbetzin Irene Klass, a”h

Posted on: January 2nd, 2012

What is it about a diamond that makes it the most valuable gemstone known to man?

Before The Deluge: Jews Of The Mediterranean Islands (Part III)

Posted on: December 29th, 2011

Findings in catacombs confirm the existence of Jews on Malta from the time of the Roman Empire until late in the Middle Ages. They came from Alexandria to this important crossroads on their way to Italy.

A Very Hong Kong Chanukah

Posted on: December 23rd, 2011

To explain to my children what Chanukah was like for me as a young girl, I find I am just as inclined to recount what it wasn’t as I am to describe what it was.

Listen To The Flames: As Told To Rayzel Reich By Her Grandmother, Mrs. Jenna Reich

Posted on: December 23rd, 2011

Miss Ida is our beloved teacher. Her brown hair is piled softly on her head. Her dress is of course old and worn, and she must not be very young, but to us, she is beautiful. She is not religious, but she is always kind, and she is always fair. We sit in class, all [...]

The Teshuvah Journey: The Miracle Sukkah Of Afghanistan

Posted on: October 2nd, 2007

For Rabbi Nosson (Mark) Sachs, a Reserve Chaplain in the U.S. Army, building a Sukkah last year in Afghanistan against all odds showed him Hashem's hand more clearly than almost any other experience of his life.

First Bat Mitzvah Held At Rachel’s Tomb Complex

Posted on: September 19th, 2007

Nearly 100 people from Israel and the U.S. gathered at Kever Rachel (Rachel's Tomb) on the outskirts of Bethlehem earlier this month for what is being described as the first ever Bat Mitzvah celebration held in the kever and the recently acquired adjacent building.

Old Cemetery In Lodz Exposed

Posted on: September 11th, 2007

         It is said that Poland is one large Jewish cemetery. While that is not 100 percent true, anytime people dig in Poland, they have to be careful of what they might find.            Last week the city of Lodz was working on the trolley line, that runs near the known boundaries of the [...]

‘Kosher’ Certification Of A Different Kind

Posted on: July 18th, 2007

        JERUSALEM – Israeli restaurant owners are well accustomed to the question “Do you have a teuda?” referring to the official certificate deeming all food and food preparation to be kosher in accordance with halacha. Yet, as a result of the efforts of Bema’aglei Tzedek, a Jerusalem based non-profit organization, consumers are now on the [...]

It’s My Opinion: Conduct Unbecoming An Officer

Posted on: December 15th, 2011

A recent scandal in South Florida has created quite a stir. An officer with the North Miami Beach police department has been accused of trying to cast a spell on the city manager.

Calendar Of Events

Posted on: December 15th, 2011

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Chabad of South Broward’s Annual South Florida Chanukah Festival

Posted on: December 15th, 2011

The 32nd annual South Florida Chassidic Chanukah Festival, set for Monday, December 26, will be bigger and better than ever – and that’s saying a lot, since more than 10,000 people have participated each year since the event was moved to Gulfstream Park in 2007.

Torah Academy Of Boca Raton Dedicates New Computer Lab

Posted on: December 15th, 2011

Torah Academy of Boca Raton recently dedicated its new computer lab. The lab and software were made possible by a generous donation by CIJE, the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education.

Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities – 8/12/11

Posted on: August 10th, 2011

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Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities – 8/5/11

Posted on: August 3rd, 2011

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Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities – 7/29/11

Posted on: July 27th, 2011

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Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities – 7/22/11

Posted on: July 20th, 2011

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Title: Torah Tigers

Posted on: July 8th, 2009

Mix Dr. Seuss-type rhymes with a healthful dose of Torah values and you get two terrific things: the first being Dr. Miriam Adahan's departure from her usually adult reading fare. The second is an effective tool for teachers, therapists and rabbanim faced with community members who just don't "get it" about how to behave as menschlich parents.

Title: A Never-Ending Tale: Illustrated Parables of the Ba’al Shem Tov and His Disciples

Posted on: July 8th, 2009

A Never-Ending Tale: Illustrated Parables of the Ba'al Shem Tov and His Disciples vividly outlines the lofty character traits that every Jew should strive to attain.

Title: A Never-Ending Tale: Illustrated Parables of the Ba’al Shem Tov and His Disciples

Posted on: July 8th, 2009

A Never-Ending Tale: Illustrated Parables of the Ba'al Shem Tov and His Disciples vividly outlines the lofty character traits that every Jew should strive to attain.

Title: Living from Convention to Convention: A History of NCSY, 1954-1980

Posted on: July 1st, 2009

Living from Convention to Convention: A History of NCSY, 1954-1980 by Zev Eleff charts the history of NCSY since its inception. These formative years allowed the national youth organization of the Orthodox Union to become what many say is now the largest force in bringing Jewish teens closer to their heritage and religion.