By Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, “Second Thought: a US-Israel Initiative” March 6, 2020, https://bit.ly/3cAwLhW The Early Pilgrims The roots of the unique ties between the United States and Israel precede the 1776 US Declaration of Independence and the 1948 founding of Israel.  They eclipse the political beltway of Washington, DC, transcend the pertinent role of the Jewish community, are deeper […]

By Prof. Moshe Benovitz On Feb/2015 @ 11:14 am In History,Purim,Symbols and Rituals,Theology,Thought and Philosophy | No Comments On Purim we are bidden to get so thoroughly drunk on wine or other intoxicants that we are unable to distinguish between good and evil: Rava said: one is obligated to become inebriated on Purim until he does not know (ad delo […]

By URIEL HEILMAN MODIIN, Israel (JTA) — When our seventh day of quarantine began with a knock on the door from a guy in a hazmat suit, it was almost a relief finally to have a visitor in the house. He had come to test my wife and me for coronavirus. My four children eyed the man warily as he unpacked […]

This letter has been reposted with the permission of Rabbi Reuven Fink. NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (JTA) — As so many of us are now contemplating going into a Shabbos of seclusion, I want to share a few thoughts with you. We all woke up Tuesday morning prepared for our usual schedules of work or school or whatever we usually do. […]

The Book of Esther represents a turning point in Jewish history: the demonization of the Jews By Yaakov Elman| Tablet.com Purim is the closest Judaism gets to carnival. We are enjoined to get bashed and boozed, tight and tipsy to the point that we cannot distinguish Haman from Mordecai. Or, as Rabbi Pinchas Stolper put it, “the ‘goyish’ character of […]

Democrats, it’s Super Wednesday. By Thomas L. Friedman The New York Times News Update: Michael Bloomberg announced Wednesday morning that he was quitting the presidential race, and endorsed Joe Biden. I’m writing this column well before Super Tuesday is over, but that’s OK because, in my view, all that matters now is what happens on Super Wednesday. Let me explain. I […]

By MARILYN SHAPIRO Purim is around the corner, and not far behind are costumes and dancing and Purim shpiels and groggers and hamantashen. And, for some, alcohol.  According to the Talmud, it is one’s duty, to “make oneself fragrant [with wine] on Purim until one cannot tell the difference between Haman and Mordecai.”(Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 7b).  On this one holiday, […]

ALBANY–Congregation Beth Emeth in Albany will host a talk by Bishop Edward Scharfenberger, the sole United States Vatican consultor for religious relations with Jews, as part of its free Lunch & Learn series, on Wednesday, March 18. The program at the temple, 100 Academy Rd., Albany will begin at noon. The local bishop will discuss his encounters with world Jewry […]

By MARILYN SHAPIRO Ernest Hemingway loved cats. I knew it the minute I walked into his former house in Key West, Fla. Despite the beautiful day and the open windows, the smell of felines permeated every room. Our tour guide Doug introduced us to Gloria Swanson, Rudolf Valentino, and Betty Grable, three of the 40 plus six-toed cats that roamed […]

By Rev. Ben Johnson The Acton Institute Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s comments that farmers have little “gray matter” have rightly stirred controversy. However, in the justifiable backlash, people have overlooked another, equally concerning portion of his comments. Video has resurfaced, as it has a habit of doing during elections, of Bloomberg discussing the progression of the economy from an ancient […]