The westernmost member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz Has Passed Away (Baruch Dayan Emet)
By Dina Yoshimi
Our people have lost a great scholar, and a man who made the Talmud accessible to many current generations. Here’s a link to the obituary in the Jerusalem Post:
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/noted-talmudic-scholar-rabbi-adin-steinsaltz-dies-aged-83-637828
A Tribute to Carl Reiner
By Sid Goldstein
One of the great paragons of American humor died on June 30. Carl Reiner was a prolific writer, director, producer, and actor. His career spanned almost 75 years in show business. Reiner once said of his career,… Continue reading
What is Tisha B’Av
Reprinted with permission from My Jewish Learning
Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the month of Av (which coincides with July and/or August), is the major day of communal mourning in the Jewish Calendar. Although many disasters are said to… Continue reading
Jews and Social Distancing
By Dr. Daniel Meckler, New York University
The email a few weeks ago that let me know that I was under a nine-day quarantine induced one of the deeper stomach-drops of my admittedly cushy life. It galled me that, of… Continue reading
5780 Passover Seders: Tradition and Technology
By Mathew Sgan
Isolation during Passover was on my mind. Then the heavens opened up and it was Dayenu all over again. First, Dina gave me the directions to tune in to her seder (Hawaii time 7:00 PM.) To celebrate… Continue reading
An Embarrassment to Jews the World Over
by Kay Lorraine
I am an embarrassment to Jews the world over. I know this to be true, because a cantor in Chicago made this statement in my presence, loudly, to a large group of Jewish women.
Let me explain:… Continue reading
Toledo: The Tale of Two Synagogues
By Kay Lorraine
After the expulsion of the Jews at the end of the 15th century, eight of Toledo’s ten synagogues and its five Talmudic schools were destroyed. The two remaining synagogues in Toledo are no longer used for… Continue reading
The Last Jews in Grenada
by Kay Lorraine
In August and September of this year, my husband and I rented a car and traveled throughout Spain, soaking up the culture (and some fine food). I knew, of course, about the Spanish Inquisition but I was… Continue reading