Jewish Blogs

Chanukah – the Prototypical Baal Teshuva Holiday

What’s the prototypical Baal Teshuva holiday? Perhaps it’s Rosh Hoshana with it’s new beginning. Or Yom Kippur with it’s focus on Teshuva. Or the unparalleled joy available us on Succos. Or the rediscovering of true freedom on Pesach. Or the celebration of our new found wisdom in Torah on Shavous. Or partying for the sake of Heaven on Purim.Let’s make ...

Chanukah: Overcoming Our Greekness

Chanukah is here!When you think of the victory of light over the darkness that the ancient Greeks tried to spread, you can’t help but think of the world as it is today, sit by the light and know that there is light in the darkest times.Everything that we think of as “light,” becomes “dark” in a world in which there ...

Chanukah Contest: This Means Chocolate!

Yo, Geltdiggers! Remember last Purim when the meshuggenehs at Oh Nuts! helped the Yenta host a supersweet giveaway at their online store? Well, mah friends, since a game of dreidel is pretty lame without chocolate coins, it is ON again for Chanukah!All you need to do win $25 to spend on serious nom noms is this:Go to the Oh Nuts! Chanukah page. Find ...

Chai lifeline does some amazing work

I just found out that my friend Akiva Bomzer is one of those responsible for the following video portraying the amazing work that Chai Lifeline does with Camp Simcha a camp for Jewish children battling cancer – I’m going to write more, but this is really a touching video and thought you would like it (the folks who showed it ...

Celebrity Ushpizin

So, we’re right in the middle of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. And if you’re like most people, when you hear the word “Sukkot” you’re thinking of shaking lulavs (palm branches), smelling the etrog (lemon-impersonating fruit), and eating in the sukkah (temporary hut). But there’s this really cool ritual on the holiday that many people don’t know about… it’s called ...

Celebrating the First Lights of Women Rabbis

On a cold New England night, as the first flurries of the season began to fall, members of the Jewish community in Boston piled into the sanctuary at Temple Reyim to kindle the lights of Hanukkah and celebrate four remarkable Jewish women.Sally Priesand, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, Amy Eilberg, and Sara Hurwitz, the first-ordained North American Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative women ...

Celebrating Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, the first woman Reconstructionalist rabbi

Thirty-six years ago today, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso was ordained as the first female Reconstructionist rabbi by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) in Philadelphia on May 19, 1974.Sandy Sasso’s ordination came only 2 years after Sally Priesand’s, who is known as the first woman rabbi and was ordained in the Reform movement. As some of the first women in a rabbinical ...

Celebrating Osama’s Death

“My creatures are drowning in the sea, and you want to sing?”– Babylonian Talmud Megillah 10bIt took less than 24 hours for American t-shirt vendors to come up with shirts celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden: “It Took Obama to Get Osama,” “Voted Off the Planet” and “Public Enemy #1 is Dead.” According to The Washington Post, you can even buy a ...

Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month at the White House: Looking Toward the Future

This year’s White House celebration of Jewish American Heritage month was a simpler affair than in years past. The program was President Obama, and his remarks were brief. (Watch the President’s speech, or read the full remarks.) While others in the room resonated to the President’s comments on antisemitism or on Israel, the statement that stood out for me came ...

Celebrate Fiercely Independent Jewish Women This July 4th

Many of you may not know this, but there is a kind of rite that happens here at JWA for newbies such as myself: to be given an assignment with almost impossible challenges.It all began, innocently enough: we decided we would honor July 4th, our country’s independence day, by inviting you, the JWA community, to tip your hats to the ...

Cedar’s ‘Footnote’ Nominated for Oscar

We saw it at the NYFF and we predict this film will win the Oscar in its category.Joseph Cedar’s ‘Footnote’ nominated for OscarFilm to compete against entries from Iran, Poland, Belgium and Canada in the 84th Academy Awards ceremony, to be held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on February 26.Joseph Cedar’s film, “Footnote,” was nominated yesterday for the Academy ...

Catholic Herald: Pope Kicks Off New Book Promotion Saying Jews are Okay

Pope Benedict XVI has a new book out March 10 and to kick off its sales promotion he is mounting a major “Jews are Okay” campaign.And by the way, we sure are relieved that we are not being blamed anymore, wow, thanks for the three pages. No, really, we were worried. Pope: Jewish people must never again be blamed for crucifixion ...