The Lowdown on Ritual and Worship

By Rabbi Jonathan Kraus
Published on September 15, 2005

"Why are Rosh Hashanah and especially Yom Kippur so important to my Jewish partner? He almost never attends services the rest of the year, isn't observant and doesn't even know what he believes about God. Yet, at this time of year, he insists on attending services. What's the big deal with these holidays?"

There are both "official" and "unofficial" answers to these questions. Perhaps not surprisingly, the unofficial explanations are often the more significant ones. The official answers (to which I'll return shortly) speak in terms like judgment, sin, repentance, life and death. The unofficial answers have something to do with the complicated puzzle of American Jewish identity.

Yeladim

By Abby Gilad
Published on March 31, 2005

Yeladim

Yeladim

By Abby Gilad
Published on December 30, 2004

Yeladim.This week, we start a new year – and a new book. Shemot (Exodus) is the second book of the Torah. The Israelites are in the deepest winter of their lives – a dark slavery. In this book, we will read about their move toward freedom, rebirth and spring.

Yeladim

By Abby Gilad
Published on November 25, 2004

At the Jewish Children's Bookfest at Mount Sinai on Nov. 14, children were given a journal and asked the following question:

"What does being Jewish in America mean to me?"

Rosh Hashanah 5765

Published on September 2, 2004

Rosh Hashanah celebrates the birthday of the world. The Jewish/Hebrew calendar follows the cycle of the moon. The English/Gregorian calendar follows the cycle of the sun. Both calendars are divided into 12 months.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on July 22, 2004

For the Kids, information for kids.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on June 10, 2004

For the Kids, information for kids.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on June 3, 2004

For the Kids, information for kids.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on May 20, 2004

For the Kids, information for kids.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on April 8, 2004

For the Kids, information for kids.

What Jews Need to Know About Jesus

By Jack Miles
Published on February 19, 2004

Mel Gibson's Jesus movie, "The Passion of the Christ," became controversial long before its release when learned critics, Christians as well as Jews, who had been invited to read a draft of the script objected that the film was, if not actually anti-Semitic, then all too apt for anti-Semitic exploitation. The initial response of the Gibson camp to these charges included a lawsuit charging the critics with a malicious attempt to sabotage the film.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on January 29, 2004

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on January 22, 2004

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on January 15, 2004

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on January 8, 2004

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on January 1, 2004

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on December 4, 2003

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

For the Kids

Published on November 27, 2003

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

Ask Wendy

By Wendy Belzberg
Published on November 20, 2003

Ask Wendy, readers' questions and get answers from Wendy.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on November 13, 2003

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on October 2, 2003

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

Finding Community

By Hank Rosenfeld
Published on September 25, 2003

Like many unaffiliated Angelenos between 30 and marriage, I face a problem every Rosh:

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on September 11, 2003

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

Down to the Wire

By J.D. Smith
Published on August 14, 2003

I've had a good time being engaged. People are really nice to you. Strangers wish you "Congratulations!" and "Mazel tov!" Thank you, everyone. As the date has gotten closer, I noticed that people go a little bit insane when I tell them, "I'm getting married -- on Thursday." They all seem to think that I should be doing something. What, exactly, I don't know. Baking a cake, maybe.

Pro-Israel: Solidarity or Retail Politics?

By James D. Besser
Published on July 10, 2003

There are no easy answers, but there are plenty of reasons to be worried.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on July 10, 2003

For the Kids

BJE Selects ‘Leaf’ for Reading Initiative

By Journal Staff
Published on May 1, 2003

Written by Milton Steinberg, the book is based on a historical character, a renegade rabbi who lived during the Roman conquest of Judea and was excommunicated.

Kids Page

By Abby Gilad
Published on April 3, 2003

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

Tough Answers

By Sharon Schatz Rosenthal
Published on March 27, 2003

Without realizing his ideas would culminate in a book, Ed Feinstein began writing down his thoughts more than six years ago. He collected the most common questions children asked him -- most having to do with why bad things happen to good people.

Dear Rabbi

By Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson
Published on March 6, 2003

Dear Rabbi, a column where readers ask questions and the rabbi answers.

Gifts for Hashem

By Abby Gilad
Published on February 27, 2003

When the Israelites built the mishkan, the Torah says:

"Take from yourselves a portion for Hashem, everyone whose heart motivates him shall bring it, as the gift for Hashem -- gold, silver, copper; turquoise, purple and scarlet wool; linen; goat hair; red-dyed ram skins; acacia

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on January 9, 2003

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

Ask Wendy

By Wendy Belzberg
Published on January 9, 2003

Ask Wendy, readers' questions and get answers.

History’s Biggest Frog

By Abby Gilad
Published on January 2, 2003

For the Kids, fun facts and information for kids.

Ask Wendy

By Wendy Belzberg
Published on December 12, 2002

Ask Wendy, readers' questions and get answers.

Kids Page

By Abby Gilad
Published on December 12, 2002

For the Kids, fun facts, torah portion, and information for kids.

Jewish Survey Missing Data

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on November 14, 2002

Stephen Hoffman said he only learned of the missing data Tuesday, one week before the information from the NJPS about Jewish identity and intermarriage was due to get released at the annual UJC gathering, which brings together much of the organized American Jewish world.

What are you?  An Innovator, Developer or an Adventurer?

By Abby Gilad
Published on October 31, 2002

There are three patriarchs in the Bible: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Orange County Kids Page

By Abby Gilad
Published on June 6, 2002

Orange County Kids Page

Yom HaAtzmaut

By Abby Gilad
Published on April 11, 2002

For the Kids, fun facts, torah portion, and information for kids.

A Portion of Parshat Haye Sarah

By Abby Gilad
Published on November 8, 2001

Abraham had two sons: Yitzchak and Yishmael. Yitzchak was Sarah's son, and Yishmael was Hagar's son. Yitzchak would become the ancestor of the Israelites, and Ishmael would be the father of the Arab nations. Sarah sent Hagar and Yishmael away when the half-brothers were still boys. They did not see each other again until their father died. In this parsha, we are told that the brothers come together again at last in order to bury their father at the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron. In their sadness over their father's death, they are willing to stop being enemies and share their sorrow together.

Kids Page

By Abby Gilad
Published on October 25, 2001

For the Kids, fun facts, torah portion, and information for kids.

Dear Rabbi

By Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson
Published on July 5, 2001

Dear Rabbi

Educator Q &A: Dr. Stu Bernstein

By Beverly Gray
Published on March 15, 2001

Dr. Stu Bernstein has spent 40 years with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) as an elementary school teacher, principal and cluster administrator for Westside schools. On the occasion of his retirement, he was recently feted by the Association of Jewish Educators, with proceeds going toward the Multicultural Scholarship fund he helped establish. The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews, will give Bernstein its Humanitarian Award at an April 26 dinner.