This is a brief review of the laws and customs of Shavuot. Besides the status of Shavuot as a Yom Tov, there are neither biblical nor rabbinical laws relevant to it today. In biblical times Shavuot was the culmination of the Exodus, and it did not have a date of its own, but rather was…
“Homosexuality, Human Dignity and Halakhah” was approved by the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) on December 6, 2006, representing a watershed moment for the Conservative Movement. Rigorous scholarship, moral clarity and rabbinic courage provided a compassionate religious response to a complex matter, epitomizing the ethical and redemptive power of halakhah. However,…
A version of this article originally appeared in the Texas Jewish Post. The man sitting across from me at the pizza shop was a religiously liberal individual for sure — but also very much a person who wore his Judaism on his sleeve and whose life was dedicated to promoting Jewish values as he understood…
As the battle for the future of American health care rages in Washington, I find myself eager to understand what the Jewish tradition has to say on the subject. Does our ancient tradition offer any wisdom that might shed some light on this complicated subject? Do Jewish values point us in one direction or the…
A prominent Israeli rabbi said that non-Jews in Israel should carry identification cards issued by the state’s Jewish religious authority marking them as not Jewish as part of a plan to make commerce in Israel adhere to Jewish law. Yisroel Rosen, the head of the Zomet Institute which creates technology in accordance with Jewish law,…
I’ll never forget the feeling of gratitude and the experience of fellowship that graced my home in 2015. My family and I had been given the opportunity to host a recently settled Syrian refugee family for Thanksgiving. We said yes, but, admittedly, we did so with trepidation. Having internalized some fear of Syrian refugees after…
The corner bar on my street is taking a tithe. Its sidewalk chalkboard announces that 10% of all weekend income in December will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union. The bar is on to something. Amid all the uncertainty of this new political era, one thing is certain: Whatever our social values may…
Observant Jews might soon be able to dispense with the “Shabbos goy,” the Gentile neighbor or friend who performs forbidden labor during the Sabbath, reports Orthodox news site “Vos Iz Neias” (Yiddish for “What is News?”). That’s because Morty Kohn, a Brooklyn electrician, has created a new light bulb that he says can effectively be…
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