Pesach without wine

Published on March 21, 2013

How can we have Passover without wine? This is a question that is asked of me each year as Passover approaches. I always answer that the blessing is over the fruit of the vine and grape juice is perfectly acceptable. I then ask a different set of questions.

A cure for the hangover [VIDEO]

By Elana Horwich
Published on February 21, 2013

The Bachelor: Tierra Runs Out of Meds

By Ilana Angel
Published on February 12, 2013

Alcohol poisoning suspected in man’s death after Florida Purim celebration

Published on March 16, 2012

A man was found dead, apparently of alcohol poisoning, in the parking lot of a Florida Chabad center following a Purim celebration.

U.S. entrepreneurs brewing something special in Israel

Published on September 13, 2011

It would be almost impossible to believe that an inventive Washington, D.C., caterer who created culinary events for Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, an NYU-trained lawyer cum high-tech maven, and a successful New Jersey accountant would actually chuck their lucrative careers in order to serve up hand-crafted boutique beers to thirsty Israelis and curious tourists in metro Tel Aviv.

How Much Does it Cost to Hate Jews?  For John Galliano, it’s $8500.00

By Ilana Angel
Published on September 8, 2011

Jersey Shore: I am almost embarrassed to admit how much I love this show!

By Ilana Angel
Published on August 19, 2011

Daniel Radcliffe reveals recent drinking problem

By JewishJournal.com
Published on July 5, 2011

Daniel Radcliffe has opened up about giving in to one of the pitfalls of fame. In the new issue of GQ magazine, the actor reveals that while shooting "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," he drank a lot on set.

Everyone is Suddenly Irish on March 17th!

By Julia Bendis
Published on March 18, 2011

Drinking does not drive the Purim celebration

Published on March 11, 2011

We are an American generation sadly marred by excess, addiction, and reduced public morals. On line at the supermarket we see magazines that headline Lindsay Lohan, Brittany Spears, and Charlie Sheen. Purim is around the corner, and the question arises: What’s the deal with getting drunk on Purim? So here’s the deal:

Charlie Sheen is crazy; is he an anti-Semite too?

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on March 1, 2011

The Nimoys: A father and son, with space between them

Published on September 24, 2008

It's a glimpse of how Adam Nimoy grew up with a famous name, inherited his father's alcohol problem, met lots of interesting and famous people, and dabbled in law before becoming a successful TV director and starting a family, only to see his life come crashing down

VideoJew explores the Purim hangover…at Chabad Purim party

By Jay Firestone
Published on March 27, 2008

Unmasking Purim’s vital meaning

By Rabbi Sharon Brous
Published on March 1, 2007

On Purim we are forced to confront the possibility that nothing we do really matters, because history is ultimately arbitrary, and life is therefore unalterably unpredictable. No wonder they tell us to have a couple of drinks ... But the power of Purim is not that it leaves us in a drunken stupor, vulnerable, uncertain and hungover.

Wanna drink? Think again!

By Louis Keene
Published on March 1, 2007

Recognizing alcohol's long-standing presence in Jewish custom, tradition and culture -- especially on Purim, when drinking is a mitzvah -- and hearing from some rabbis that it would be impossible to have shuls go completely dry, Aleinu has tried to work directly with the shuls and parents to take responsibility for their teens.

Wines to Test the Palate, Pocketbook

By J.D. Smith
Published on March 30, 2006

Kosher wine has got a bad reputation, some of which is justly deserved. Along with rabbinical supervision of the winemaking process, strict rules about cleaning barrels, the prohibition of animal products and other laws regarding viniculture, wine was actually boiled (mevushal) as part of the traditional koshering process.

Post-Bar Mitzvah Stress Disorder

By Judy Gruen
Published on January 12, 2006

Post-Bar Mitzvah Stress Disorder (PBMSD) usually follows a case of Pre-Bar Mitzvah Stress Disorder. This is characterized by speed-dialing your caterer several times daily until you actually hear him chewing antacids while you speak; zipping around so frantically from errand to errand that you have no time to eat anything other than large brownies in the car (perversely, this still causes weight gain), and bursting into tears with no warning because your little boy is no longer a little boy but a newly minted teen who has the audacity to catapult into puberty before your very eyes.

Avi Leibovic: Guardian Angel of the Streets

By Julie G Fax
Published on January 5, 2006

Five years ago, Leibovic was approached by the prodigal son of a prominent Orthodox family for help and inspiration. Soon, their one-on-one Torah study grew into a larger group, made up mostly of recent alumni of Neve Zion, the yeshiva outside Jerusalem where Leibovic had formative experiences as a teen and young adult.

No Wrong Way to End Yom Kippur Fast

By Linda Morel
Published on September 23, 2004

I grew up in a family that never seemed to do anything right. Our approach to Yom Kippur, for example, was mixed: My father and I observed it; my mother and brother did not. Returning from synagogue at the end of the day, Dad and I were starving, so we grabbed a couple of slices of challah and spread chopped liver on top. Without ceremony, we leaned over a kitchen counter inhaling this snack.

Although the experience was a bonding one, by high school I realized that something was wrong with this picture, that something made me feel uncomfortable. Standing on linoleum, I'd pivot on one of my high heels and contemplate what routine other families followed when they came home from synagogue. How and when did they resume eating?

Alcohol Dependency Not in Our Genes

By Donna Abrahams
Published on May 6, 2004

A new study suggests that genes, not religion, may help explain why Jews generally have fewer problems with alcohol than Caucasians in general do.

A Walk in Rick Orlov’s City Hall

By Catherine Seipp
Published on April 8, 2004

Rick Orlov of the Los Angeles Daily News, long known as the dean of City Hall reporters, is that rare media type who has no enemies. That's because he's long had a reputation for being an old-fashioned straight shooter who honors secrets not only in print, but also in hallway gossip.

"He's a person you can trust," Richard Riordan remarked once when he was mayor. "He's not some young person trying to prove himself with a gotcha."

Adults-In-Training Hopes and Fears

By Jane Ulman
Published on December 11, 2003

"Why are you having a bar or bat mitzvah?" Larry Kligman, dean of students at Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School in Northridge, asks the school's 65 seventh-graders.

Painted Clowns

By Teresa Strasser
Published on April 24, 2003

I'm drinking at a bar called the Dirty Horse on Hollywood Boulevard. Well, that's not the real name but I never got a look at the sign and that name seemed right.

Tea House Therapy

By Carin Davis
Published on August 29, 2002

Tired of serving up that familiar holiday honey cake? At the Rooibos Tea House, a happy, healthy New Year starts with African red tea and red tea baked goods.

"Cooking with our tea is a delicious way to celebrate the High Holidays -- tasty and energizing," said Rooibos owner Nira Levy Maslin.

Alcohol Aftermath

By Jane Ulman
Published on February 21, 2002

On Purim, the Talmud commands us to drink until we "don't know the difference between 'Blessed be Mordechai' and 'Cursed be Haman.'"