Category
kashrut
At Halloween, kosher candy rings the bell
This Saturday night, after waiting for three stars to become visible in the sky and observing Havdalah, the departing of Shabbat, with candle, wine and spice box, I will prepare to perform another ritual: I will pour gobs of candy into a large bowl to hand out to the sporadic stream of trick-or-treaters who will ring my doorbell.
French school identifies non-pork, non-meat eaters with yellow tags
A French municipality launched a probe into an elementary school’s use of red and yellow tags to identify pupils who do not eat pork and meat, respectively.
Is kosher ethical?
Almost 40 years ago I spoke about “The Case for Judaism” to members of the tiny Jewish community of Moncton, in New Brunswick, Canada.
Los Angeles’ top Jewish chefs under 40
What do the young Jewish star chefs in Los Angeles have in common? For those on the cutting edge of the city’s food scene, it’s not the laws of kashrut.
How to become a Jew
There are a variety of options for how to begin the process, but all involve study with a rabbi. Some people study with an individual rabbi for a period of time, and other people enroll in group classes designed especially for converts.
Genetically engineered salmon: Coming soon to a bagel near you?
Do you want to be experimented on by eating sushi or bagels and lox made with a new type of salmon with eel genes in it – salmon which hasn’t been adequately tested for safety of human consumption?
Learning how to respond to sin
Everyone has their moments of failure, when they transgress. Not necessarily out of malice, but in response to temptation or opportunity or out of fear.
Kosher Without Sacrifice? Parashat Shemini (Leviticus 9:1-11:47
The most elaborate, comprehensive and effective system for the prevention of animal cruelty was not invented by the FDA or even PETA; it was devised by the Book of Leviticus. This may seem a strange idea. Without question, it swims rather roughly against that trusty river of intuition. Pigeon slaughter is rarely good for pigeons. Bull offerings are not something cows easily stomach. As far as “becoming a sacrificial lamb,” I have it on good authority that this is not what most sheep dream about when they are kids.
Kosher – Farm to table
Jewish holidays are full of symbolic foodstuffs: We are people of the mouth and stomach at least as much as the people of the book. Passover provides perhaps the best example of this — not only does almost everything on the table have a story, the ritual of the holiday involves telling those stories at length. Everything from the parsley we dip to the wine drink has a narrative attached to it.