Friday, April 19th 2024 |
By ALAN SMASON, Special to the CCJN
Like many boys growing up, Roy Schwartz turned to comic books and cartoons for entertainment and to fantasize about superheroes in both Marvel and DC Comics. But, unlike many American boys, he did so at first as a young man growing up as an Israeli in Tel Aviv, where English was his second language.
Because Schwartz was so fascinated by pop culture and...
By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB
“FROM FEAR TO FESTIVITIES”
Fear and trembling.
Those have been our primary religious emotions during the past several weeks.
Although Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are referred to nowadays as the High Holidays, traditionally they were known as the Days of Awe, Yamim Noraim. Frightful days, fearful days.
During this recent time none of us escaped a sense of insecurity. Recognizing that these...
Touro Synagogue will combine the celebration of Succot with the kickoff for a new capital campaign – Lifting the Sky – to improve its historic facilities on St. Charles Avenue in the early evening hours of Sunday, Oct. 9. The date corresponds to the first night of Succot, which officially starts at sundown. The event will begin at 5:00 p.m. and continue till 7:00 p.m.
Although short presentations will be...
By ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL
(JTA) — I am a sucker for extreme sports — or at least reading about them. My ideal Sunday afternoon involves a comfy chair and a thick book or Netflix documentary about mountain climbers trying to escape an avalanche, or an ultra-runner suffering during a 24-hour race.
Stories of people under extremis appeal to the 12-year-old boy in me, but I also read them hoping their authors’...
By JACKIE HAJDENBERG
(JTA) — When Sarah Jemal was pregnant with her first child, she couldn’t keep any food or liquids down. Given her risk of dehydration and preterm labor, Jemal’s obstetrician recommended she use a concierge service to receive intravenous fluids at home.
“Otherwise I was going to basically have to be administered to the hospital, be on hospital rest until I gave birth,” Jemal said.
During her next...
By JUDY LASH BALINT
(JNS.org) – Is there any other country in the world that goes silent once a year for more than 24 hours? In Israel, from the eve of Yom Kippur (Tuesday, October 4) until an hour after sunset the next night, there’s no traffic apart from emergency vehicles, no TV or radio broadcasts, all shops, restaurants, offices are closed, and there are no flights in or...
This Rosh Hashanah, Jewish communities throughout America and across the globe will celebrate the birth of the world and the beginning of a new year. With the piercing sound of the shofar and the sweetness of apples dipped in honey, the Jewish New Year ushers in a sacred time of reflection, repentance, and renewal. A time to pause and look inward. During these Days of Awe, we have the opportunity...
By JACKIE HADJENBERG
(JTA) — The kids are coming back inside for Rosh Hashanah services at Temple Shir Shalom, a Reform synagogue in suburban Detroit.
Last year, in a concession to COVID-19, the congregation held its family services on a football field. This year, the services will take place inside Shir Shalom’s West Bloomfield, Michigan building, where other changes are happening, too. Masks are recommended but no longer required, and...
Why do we eat apples and honey? It’s an answer you all need to hear. Like the honey, the apples are sweet To ensure for us all a sweet year. But that’s not all of the foods That we eat at the head of the year. While simanim are ritually eaten, Their meaning is not always clear. So, let us start with Rosh Hashanah If that is what you...
By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB
“DO YOU HEAR VOICES?”
Do you ever hear voices?
I do, especially at this time of year.
It is now the period of time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This ten-day period is known as the ten days of Teshuvah, or repentance. During this time Jews become more contemplative, more serious, and more given...
