The founders of an upcoming conference in New York would probably never pray together, but they will study Torah together. Lishmah, a term used to describe learning Jewish texts for the sake of learning, is the brainchild of 10 rabbis in New York City. The one-day conference featuring numerous sessions of Jewish learning is most…
LOS ANGELES — With Jewish groups warning that Mel Gibson’s graphic film about the death of Jesus could resurrect charges of Jewish responsibility for the crucifixion, some in Hollywood appear to be spooked. Despite the movie’s rave reviews from prominent Christian conservatives, 20th Century Fox, which has the option of first refusal to distribute films…
JERUSALEM — In an effort to reinforce students’ Jewish identities and bolster Israel’s standing on North American college campuses, Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs Natan Sharansky is embarking next week on a whirlwind campus speaking tour. Believed to be the first time an Israeli minister has embarked on an extensive tour of North American universities,…
At the eighth annual Shofar Festival and Parade, created for children ages 3 to 8 and their families, youngsters decorate their own shofars, the rams’ horns blown on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur as a call of repentance to its listeners, and learn how to blow them. After listening to stories about Rosh Hashana, visitors…
Several years ago, journalist Elinor Langer was on an airplane preparing for a lecture she was about to give about the death of Mulugeta Seraw, an Ethiopian immigrant murdered by skinheads in Portland, Ore., in 1989. As Langer began shuffling through pictures and cartoons that the police had seized from the house of one of…
WASHINGTON — In response to negative reactions from the Bush administration, Israel is putting off attempts to sell the Arrow missile-defense systems to India. Pro-Israel lobbyists have recently raised the issue with senior officials at the State and Defense departments and congressional staffers, according to Jewish activists in Washington, as well as congressional and diplomatic…
Getting Ready for The High Holy Days Let the Song Be Your Guide: Cantor Janet Leuchter of Congregation Beth Elohim, a Reform synagogue, leads a class titled “What Am I Doing in This Service: Music and Spirit During the Days of Awe.” Participants explore how music and words can serve as a guide on the…
When you spot your beau in the cafeteria, is he: A) Bullying the class nerd into “sharing” his dessert? B) Starting a food fight? C) Laughing at his table with friends? Or D) Sitting with the lonely new kid? If you answered “D,” you have “a godly guy”— at least in the opinion of Revolve,…
NEW DELHI — With Prime Minister Sharon this week becoming the first Israeli leader to visit India, a mantra has been chanted back and forth in Jerusalem and New Delhi: “India and Israel — two countries that share challenges and values, the only two democracies in their regions. Both countries face dictatorships that sponsor terror.”…
• Miriam Hoffman writes about her trip to Vilna via Helsinki. • Elisheva Cohen-Tsedek writes about her impressions of the latest mood in Israel. • Mikhail Krutikov reviews a new collection of essays by Arno Lustiger, a historian and writer living in Germany. • Chaim Beider greets Yekhiel Shraibman, a Bessarabian Yiddish writer, on his…
An August 22 article, “Dance Troupe From Israel Wraps Up Goodwill Tour of America,” misidentified Toni Luck, managing director of the Spirit of David Dance Theater. Ben Ammi Ben Israel is the spiritual leader of the African Hebrew Israelite Community. The article also incorrectly reported the source of funding for the tour. The Nation of…
