Jewish Blogs

Is it a Fair Goal to Expect a Baal Teshuva to Strive for a Level of Greatness?

Is it a fair goal to expect a baal teshuva to strive for a level of Greatness? Is that realistic? Or should we be content thinking, “we know what we know, which is a heckuva lot more than the average Jew and it’s a world different (if not two!) than how I myself used to be, and I am content ...

Is Israeli Writer-Director Joseph Cedar Jewish?

Yes, Israeli writer-director Joseph Cedar is a Jew.According to the LA Times, he is a Sabbath-observant Jew whose family made aliyah from New York City when he was a child.Writing about how he had to wait until late Saturday night to interview Cedar, Kenneth Turan, the Los Angeles Times Film Critic said,It is somehow appropriate that Cedar’s Sabbath observance played ...

Is intermarriage more likely to end in divorce?

The Washington Post Outlook section featured an interesting article this weekend on a surprising topic—whether or not marrying someone of the same religion is likely to make your marriage more successful. This is particularly relevant to Jews, who now find themselves with an intermarriage rate of almost 50%Read More: @ jwablog.jwa.orgTags: intermarriage likely to end in divorce, intermarriage to end in divorceYou might also ...

Is Golfer Corey Pavin Jewish?

It’s complicated. Yes, professional golfer Corey Pavin was born a Jew. But no, he does not practice Judaism. In religious practice he is a Born Again Christian. We don’t understand how he can be a “Born Again” Christian since he was born a Jew. He is fervent in his Christianity, one of the few golfers who in interviews used to ...

Is Goldman Sachs Critic Greg Smith Jewish?

Yes, Greg Smith is a Jew.Paul Berger of the Forward writes about Smith, “Goldman Rebel is Latest Outspoken S. African Jew.” He suggests, as a question, that Smith’s criticism of Goldman Sachs, “was simply continuing a South African Jewish tradition of speaking truth to power.”Okay, but what about the substance of Smith’s criticism? It could be dismissed as sour grapes ...

Is Gilad Shalit Really Coming Home?

I don’t know whether to believe it. Many news outlets are now reporting that Israel has struck a deal with Hamas and in exchange for a lot of Palestinian prisoners (1027) Israel is getting back Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier captured in June of 2006 and held in Gaza since then.I have an uneven relationship with the Shalit situation. I’m ...

Is Gene Simmons Jewish?

Yes rock superstar Gene Simmons is a Jew.The Jerusalem Post reports that he is visiting Israel: “Kiss rocker Gene Simmons back in Israel after 51 years,” by David Brinn.The Israeli-born superstar calls boycotting artists “idiots,” says “there ain’t no place like Israel on Earth.”52 years after leaving Israel as the impoverished nine-year-old son of a survivor of the Auschwitz death ...

Is friday night sex really a double mitzvah?

So here is something I’ve always wondered, but never had the guts to actually ask anyone. Maybe it’s common knowledge. I didn’t go to yeshiva, so there’s a lot I don’t know. WHY is it a mitzvah (double mitzvah, I’ve heard said) to have sex on Friday night?My understanding is that HaShem STOPPED creating life on the 7th day. Somehow ...

Is Football for Jewish Kids?

I often joke that the point of a bar mitzvah is to celebrate the Jewish boy’s realization that he’ll have a much better chance of owning the professional team than playing on it. It’s tongue-in-cheek humor, but the fact remains that there are many more Jewish professional sports team owners than Jewish players.In Detroit, it might be more accurate to ...

Is Facebook or Smoking more assur?

It’s not another satirical piece by me, it’s actually a fairly lengthy discussion in one of the yeshiva world news coffee room forums and it’s a pretty hot debate. The basic premise is that smoking will cause you physical harm, but facebook will cause you spiritual harm which will lead to physical harm in the long run so facebook is ...

Is Esther Petrack Jewish?

Yes, model Esther Petrack is a Jew from Brookline, MA. She was born in Jerusalem, brought up Orthodox and attended the Maimonides school. Esther, now all of 18, is a contestant on a TV show which up to now we have not seen, America’s Next Top Model.Tyra Banks, a host on the show, put her on the spot, asking her ...

Is endurance swimmer Alex Meyer Jewish?

We do not know if endurance swimmer Alex Meyer is a Jew. We are looking into it.But it’s really of no consequence what his religion is to appreciate his dedication to the sport of swimming, our favorite sports activity.The Times has a long and eloquent article about Meyer and swimming. In it Meyer tells us,…“My philosophy is, you have to ...