Does Don Draper Want to Be Jewish?
In the weeks before the beginning of the final season of Mad Men, the show’s creator Matthew Weiner did rounds
The House by the Lake: One House, Five Families, and a Hundred Years of German History
On the outskirts of Berlin lies the charming lakefront community of Groß Glienicke, where locals and summer visitors enjoy swimming, boating and fishing. Nestled among the medieval village’s structures is the lake house where author Thomas Harding’s grandmother once lived.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Haazinu: Between a Rock and Hard Place
Parashat Haazinu includes the word tzur, or rock, eight times. But in this case, tzur isn’t referring to just any rock; it’s referring to God, as the rock of Israel.
Being Holy - and Staying Alive
Acharei Mot, the first of this week's two parashiyot, begins on an unsettling note—a reminder of the death of Aaron's sons and the suggestion that such tragedies might occur again unless the priests take specified steps to prevent them
Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw
In her memoir, Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw (New American Library), food writer Elissa Altman, who also wrote Poor Man’s Feast, deftly uses kashrut – Judaism’s dietary laws – to portray, both literally and symbolically, the toxic relationships in her dysfunctional Jewish family.
A Vote for ARZA is a Vote for Progressive Zionism: Why We're on the ARZA Slate
A Chilling Portrait of Bigotry: Hate Crime Murders Reach Record High in 2019
Mourning and Meaning
We read in this week's Torah portion about the death of Aaron's two eldest sons, Nadab and Abihu.
What’s in a Name of God?
Several years ago, when the number of dogs in animal shelters was skyrocketing, someone hit upon a marketing strategy that increased pet adoption exponentially: Rather than names like Spot, Cuddles, or Fido, they gave them celebrity names like George Clooney, ... Never doubt for a moment the tremendous power of language! When it comes to establishing a connection, the names and images we use make a tremendous difference.We see this in our weekly Torah portion, B’shalach, where the imagery the Israelites use to describe God is striking.