Jewish Blogs

New at Halakhah.com: Order of the Avoda of the Kohen Godol on Yom Kippur

Download for free at Halakhah.com: Reuven Brauner, Order of the Avoda of the Kohen Godol on Yom Kippur. The author tells us that this resource is,A summary of the major activities of the Kohen Godol on Yom Kippur in chronological order, with reference sources. It includes a small diagram of the Temple, an explanation of the symbolisms of the Avoda ...

Netivot Olam: Suffering In This World #12 part 2

In Masechet Brachot, Reish Lakish says, “When a person busies himself with Torah, yissurim separates from him. In the evening the bird can go up.” This refers to Torah which lifts up one’s eyes. “And there is no evening like suffering,” as it says, “In the darkness of night.” Yissurim comes as a result of lack. It is meant to purify and galvanize change. Torah can elevate a person ...

Nesting on Empty

Shhh. S’very very very quiet in the Yenta house right now.No bickering. No interrupting. No one using my bathroom mirror to style his purple hair and no one kvetching about how walking the dog is an unreasonable chore.I expected this vacuum of sound after we dropped both children at sleepaway camp yesterday.The build-up to that moment — frantic weeks of ...

Nebraska Regents purchase Jewish book publisher JPS

This makes no sense to us.The University of Nebraska buys up the Jewish Publication Society?Why didn’t it get bought by Hebrew Union College or the Jewish Theological Seminary or Yeshiva University or the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College or New York University or Harvard or Yale or Penn or Magnes Press of Hebrew University?A great Jewish book publisher goes under and gets ...

Natan Sharansky and Soviet Jewry: A Look Back

Tuesday was the fourth time I heard Natan Sharansky speak. The second time I heard the former Prisoner of Zion speak was at Adat Shalom Synagogue not long after my bar mitzvah. I was still wearing the silver bracelet with the name of my bar mitzvah twin from the Soviet Union. The last two times I heard Sharansky speak were ...

Natalie Portman Names Son Alef

I first read the reports last month that Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied had named their newborn son Alef. There was no confirmation of the name from Portman so I didn’t blog about it. Now, it appears that more news sources are picking up on this rumor.Israel Hayom first raised the possibility that Natalie Portman had named her baby “Alef” ...

Natalie Portman Gives Birth to a Baby Boy

Since I launched this blog in March 2003, no post has attracted as much attention as the one I titled simply: “Is Benjamin Millepied Jewish?” That post has received dozens more comments than this blog normally receives. And that simple question: ”Is Benjamin Millepied Jewish?” has driven traffic to this blog in record numbers.So, now that Natalie Portman has given birth ...

Name Your Favorite Old Synagogue, Win an iPad

Here’s one way that you can help out a historic synagogue — and help yourself in the process!Congregation Beth Elohim, a landmark synagogue in Park Slope, Brooklyn, is a finalist in the American Express Partners in Preservation Program. As finalists, they have a chance to win up to $250,000 to restore their beautiful stained glass windows in the main sanctuary.They’re ...

Naaleh.com Announces Fogel Family Remembrance Learning Program

In response the brutal murders by terrorists of Udi and Rut Fogel and three of their children, Yoav, 11, Elad, 4, and Hadas, three months, in Israel, Naaleh.com has announced a special learning program in their memory.People around the world are looking for ways to help but are left feeling frozen and helpless. The only response to such overwhelming tragedy is to ...

MyJewishLearning Named to Slingshot!

We’re excited to announce that MyJewishLearning.com has been named one of the nation’s 50 most innovative Jewish nonprofits in Slingshot ’10-‘11, a resource guide for Jewish innovation. Since 2005, Slingshot has become the definitive guide to identifying path-finding and trailblazing organizations grappling with concerns in Jewish life such as identity, community, and tradition.MyJewishLearning.com was chosen by a panel of 36 foundation professionals from across North ...

My Translation and Re-Publication of Bavli Hullin: Keeping My Siyyum Hadran Promise to the Talmud

On April 1, 1973 in Rabbi Soloveitchik’s Talmud shiur at Yeshiva University we completed learning the first chapter of Talmud Bavli Tractate Hullin. The Rav gave a dvar Torah at the Siyyum. He explained the meaning of the recitation of the hadran alakh, the prayer that promised upon the completion of learning a Talmud chapter or Tractate that we would return to study you – speaking ...

My Teacher Rabbi Burt Visotzky Does Dinner with President Barack Obama

It’s not everyday that you know someone who gets to have a meal with the President of the United States. Last week, one of my favorite teachers (if I don’t say “one of” I’m bound to offend) had just that honor.Rabbi Burt Visotzky, whose Midrash courses at the Jewish Theological Seminary I thoroughly enjoyed, was invited to the White House ...