Crossword Puzzle: May 17, 2013

Published on May 15, 2013

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Crossword Puzzle: April 19, 2013

Published on April 22, 2013

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Crossword Puzzle: April 12, 2013

Published on April 10, 2013

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Crossword Puzzle: April 5, 2013

Published on April 4, 2013

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Crossword Puzzle: March 29, 2013

Published on March 28, 2013

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Crossword Puzzle: March 22, 2013

Published on March 21, 2013

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Crossword Puzzle: March 15, 2013

Published on March 13, 2013

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Crossword Puzzle: March 8, 2013

Published on March 7, 2013

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Addicted to Myself

By Beit T'shuvah
Published on March 5, 2013

Crossword Puzzle: March 1, 2013

Published on February 27, 2013

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Crossword Puzzle: Feb. 22, 2013

Published on February 21, 2013

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Where’s the struggle?

By David Suissa
Published on November 20, 2008

When I see the coarse arguments currently raging over the issue of same-sex marriage, I don't see any thoughtful or fascinating debates or any embracing of tension. I see two armies shooting at each other.

‘Prayer isn’t boring—you are’

Published on September 3, 2008

In a way, Jewish prayer is like another pillar of observant Jewish life: Shabbat. Just as tefilah involves letting one's creativity conquer one's boredom, Shabbat is about finding creative enjoyment on a day when cell-phones, iPods and DVD players are treated as hardly more useful than paperweights.

18 essential Hebrew words and phrases

By Dikla Kadosh
Published on May 15, 2008

In honor of Israel's 60th Birthday, we thought you should learn a few key words and phrases in Hebrew that will bring you closer to Israel's people and culture. This vocabulary will be useful on your next trip to Israel-- or on your next trip to Ventura Boulevard. Delight your Israeli friends, teach your kids or impress a date. What better way to mark this milestone in Jewish history than to do a very Jewish thing: learn!

Hollywood gets lessons in the nuances of Hebrew

By Etgar Keret
Published on January 31, 2008

Some time ago, I was invited to a dinner here in Israel attended by a delegation of film people from Los Angeles. During the meal, one successful documentary director asked me a question: Could I think of any Hebrew words that have no equivalent in English?

An excellent question, and even though I was sure there were many such words, the only two I could think of actually do have English equivalents, except that in Hebrew -- or maybe it would be more accurate to say "in Israeli" -- they carry completely different values.

We’d All Rather Be in Venice

By Ellen Switkes
Published on August 4, 2006

It's been two years this week since my mother, Betty Switkes, died, and we still haven't had the unveiling. Jewish custom dictates that you unveil the headstone a year after the person dies, but my father has not found the right stone or the right words to inscribe on that stone, so she rests in this unmarked grave. People who pass by this spot might suspect the person buried here is a forgotten soul, but nothing could be further from the truth. She is the focus of his obsession.

Life vs. Death

By Tom Teicholz
Published on July 19, 2006

Phillip Roth's "Everyman," (Houghton Mifflin) is a short, and in some respects, slight work. Clocking in at around 200 pages, it recounts the life of one man through his medical history. As an organizing principle, this one's as valid as any, even if in this instance, it doesn't necessarily yield the most compelling, multidimensional portrait.

Kids Page

By Abby Gilad
Published on August 18, 2005

Kids Page

Kids Page

By Abby Gilad
Published on August 11, 2005

In the middle of summer, when it is the hottest, we are told that we cannot eat or drink for one whole day.

Hearing Is Believing

By Rabbi Elazar Muskin
Published on August 11, 2005

Summer photos are most revealing. Our family's photos almost always reveal my absence for the simple reason that I am usually the designated family photographer.

Yeladim

By Abby Gilad
Published on June 2, 2005

Yeladim

Kids Page

By Abby Gilad
Published on May 26, 2005

Kids Page

Yeladim

By Abby Gilad
Published on January 13, 2005

In last week's Torah Portion, the Israelites sat back and watched as God brought seven plagues upon the Egyptians. This week, in Parshat Bo, we read of the last three plagues.

Curb Your Verbosity

By Gaby Wenig
Published on December 23, 2004

Wolpe's goal with this book and with his columns is to achieve the most coveted accolade of all newspaper columnists -- to have his column posted on someone's refrigerator.

elizabeth shum title

By Elizabeth Shum
Published on December 9, 2004

elizabeth shum title

Silence Is Golden

By Rabbi Elazar Muskin
Published on October 28, 2004

A saleswoman, driving home in northern Arizona, sees a Navajo woman hitchhiking, stops the car and invites the Navajo woman to join her.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on October 7, 2004

The Ba'al Shem Tov, a famous rabbi, once said: "The Torah wants to dance, but she has no feet. You must be her feet."

Letters to the Editor

Published on October 7, 2004

Letters to the Editor.

Cancer Fight Ties in With Holiday Liturgy

By Zvi Volk
Published on September 9, 2004

The introspection involved in the High Holidays always makes them poignant. Last year, though, they were almost unbearably so for my family.

Little Miss Shmutzy

By Gaby Wenig
Published on July 8, 2004

Anne-Marie Baila Asner decided that she was going to reinvigorate Yiddish by writing and illustrating cute, brightly colored children's books that would help people develop an affinity for the language.

Kids Page

By Abby Gilad
Published on June 17, 2004

Moses' brother Aaron, our first high priest, had a staff.

Lost in Translation

By Rabbi N. Daniel Korobkin
Published on May 13, 2004

Imagine a foreigner hearing some American idioms for the first time, and the ensuing confusion.

Vanity Body Plates

By Lori Gottlieb
Published on March 25, 2004

I asked a young woman in a T-shirt that read, "Psycho Bitch" why she'd want to wear that.

"It's empowering!" she replied, in a tone that left the "I mean, like, duh" hanging in the air.

Writing the Book On Reading

By Marc Ballon
Published on November 6, 2003

Seated before 21 third-graders at Selma Avenue Elementary School in Hollywood, actor Henry Winkler cracked open a copy of "I Got a 'D' in Salami," a children's book he co-authored, and began reading. The "Fonze," a little grayer and thicker around the middle than in his salad days, quickly won over his young audience, which giggled at his jokes and sat with rapt attention as he painted pictures with words.

Quit Staring at My Chest

By Keren Engelberg
Published on October 23, 2003

Sure, your bubbie always said you had a shayna punim, but now there's a T-shirt to help you pronounce it proudly to the world.

Kids Page

By Abby Gilad
Published on October 16, 2003

Kids Page

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on September 4, 2003

Last week, we learned not to cut down the fruit trees of our enemies in times of war because, as the Torah says, the trees are "not our enemy."

Right Place, Right Time

By Rabbi Ben-Tzion Kravitz
Published on August 28, 2003

It was Sunday afternoon, July 6, 2003, and I was approaching the end of a successful three-week mission to Israel dedicated to responding to a new wave of missionary activity.

Where You Stand

By Rabbi Allen I. Freehling
Published on August 28, 2003

We are standing before God and God is standing before us -- especially during this particular time, when certain fundamental liberties are being denied individuals and when justice is being withheld from specific groups -- all in the name of "homeland security."

Helpful Hints for Dad

By Jewish Journal Staff
Published on June 12, 2003

"Words That Shook the World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events," by Richard Greene, offers the annotated text of modern history's most memorable spoken words.

The Core of Judaism

By Rabbi Ed Feinstein
Published on June 12, 2003

Try this experiment: Put your hands in your pockets and try to explain to someone -- verbally -- how to tie shoes. It's an exercise in frustration, because there are certain things you can learn by description, and there are others that can only be learned in the doing -- learned not by words and concepts, but by involving fingers, hands and heart.

Kids Page

By Abby Gilad
Published on May 8, 2003

There is a lot of teaching going on in Parshat Emor.

Different From All Other Pesach Books

By Sandee Brawarsky
Published on April 10, 2003

Passover is our holiday of words -- words to study and ponder, lines that evoke memories and also inspire hope of better times. Every year, publishers bring out a significant number of new books related to the holiday -- new editions of the haggadah, books of essays and commentary, children's books and cookbooks. This season, there's plenty to read geared to the weeks leading up to the holiday, throughout its duration and afterward. What's common among the new titles are stories, whether reminiscences about great scholars or accounts of unusual circumstances for seders. Here are stories that weave history and transcend it.

Kids Page

Published on March 20, 2003

Kids Page

Moranic Statement

By Matthew E. Berger
Published on March 13, 2003

A furor over comments by a U.S. lawmaker is highlighting the resurgent trend of blaming Israel and the Jewish community for the impending
war against Iraq.

Exploring Past Finds Power of Choices

By Rafael Guber
Published on February 6, 2003

The Hebrew language is not famous for its curse words. There is one, however, emach she'mo, meaning, "may his name be erased."

In our tradition, it is a horrible curse to be erased from human memory. For example, Hitler, emach she'mo: Even as we remember him, we remember to forget him. Those who evoke our most horrible memories are those who most deserve to be forgotten.

Somebody Stop Me

By Mark Miller
Published on February 6, 2003

I've been spending so much time and energy dating that it sometimes feels like an addiction.

Students Prepare for War of Words organizations.

By David Margolis
Published on June 27, 2002

The long-term forecast predicts a very hot autumn on American college campuses, as Israel advocates challenge a well-organized, well-financed anti-Israel campaign by pro-Palestinian activists.

Parshat Beha’alotcha

By Abby Gilad
Published on May 30, 2002

Parshat Beha'alotcha

Hey kids!

By Abby Gilad
Published on August 16, 2001

Were you one of the lucky campers who participated in the basketball camp at the West Valley JCC?

Judaism Through Adversity

By Dennis Gura
Published on July 19, 2001

"A Letter in the Scroll: Understanding Our Jewish Identity and Exploring the Legacy of the World's Oldest Religion" by Jonathan Sacks. (The Free Press, $25.)

Gently, gracefully, thoughtfully, Jonathan Sacks unfolds an emotionally compelling argument for Jews to reclaim and engage with traditional faith, traditional texts and traditional acts. Wisely, he eschews philosophic reasonings: Jews teach by words, with words, through stories, songs, psalm, exegesis. Logically constructed arguments cannot convince one of religious veracity nor demonstrate a revealed truth.

‘What’s the Meaning of Life ?’

By Rabbi Ed Feinstein
Published on August 7, 1997

Love answering children's questions. I'll visit a classroom and face an eager chorus of "DidGod create dinosaurs?" and "Where do people go when they die?" Then,at the end, there's always one wise guy, who smirks and asks, "What'sthe meaning of life?" I love that kid. I admire his chutzpah, and Ilove the question.