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Thursday, June 5, 2008

A light unto the Nation (inside the historic Touro Synagogue)

By Victor Wishna

The Maccabees' legendary oil may have burned for eight days and nights, but at the Touro Synagogue in Newport, R.I., the low-wattage bulb in the ner tamid has lasted more than a century, ever since the building was first electrified in the 1880s.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Finding Judaism in the great outdoors

By Sue Fishkoff

Two rabbis are helping Jews find a path to Judaism off the beaten track. Each has written a new guidebook to take along on that hike

Sunday, May 11, 2008

VIDEO: Moroccan Jewish sacred singing

By Vanessa Paloma

Video of Moroccan Jewish sacred singing.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Pico-Olympic traffic plan on hold after judge’s decision

By Amy Klein

City of Los Angeles has been ordered to conduct a new environmental impact report (EIR) before implementing the Pico-Olympic traffic plan.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Jewish life in the City of Lights

By Danielle Berrin

Calendar Girl Danielle Berrin finds herself in Paris for Pesach

Thursday, May 1, 2008

I am now the voice of my parents

By Julie Kohner

There was never a time in my life when I did not know about the Holocaust.In a strange way, I think I just took the idea of this for granted.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Some retirees make aliyah to San Miguel de Allende

By Buzzy Gordon

A growing number of American Jews have chosen to retire to Mexico. Two of the largest expatriate communities, in San Miguel de Allende and Ajijic; have experienced contrasting experiences while attempting to establish spiritual leadership.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

L.A. Jewish girl joins the African Jewish matzah dance

By Nili Salem

My Pesach preparation, like that of so many Americans, usually involves walking to my local supermarket and loading a cart full of Manischewitz products...

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Mom and daughter climb ev’ry mountain

By Dan Goldberg

For Cheryl and Nikki Bart, ain't no mountain high enough. Seven years after their first adventure in Nepal, the Barts are heading back to Katmandu this week in an attempt to become the first mother-daughter team to conquer Everest.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Oaxaca is a dreamy stop down Mexico way

By Roberto Loiederman

If you're heading down Mexico way, all the way down to Oaxaca, you should know about a bed and breakfast there called Casa Machaya. The name is a sly Jewish reference, a wink at potential clients for the B & B: That's right, it's not meant to be the Spanish "ch," as in "change," but a guttural "ch," as in mechaya, Yiddish for "joy."

Thursday, January 31, 2008

‘Emerald Isle’ beckons Jews

By Peter Rothholz

There is a saying that in Ireland there are no strangers, only friends you haven't met yet.

On our visit we experienced a tangible expression of this in Kenmare, where perfect strangers went out of their way to help us get our laundry done and then volunteered to drive us back to our hotel when we couldn't find a taxi.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Briefs: UC ‘study in Israel’ program draws Sacramento attention; Gold officially the man at the Fede

The effort to reinstate the University of California's study in Israel program entered the state Legislature last week.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Tahitian Jews make do on their island paradise

By Ben Frank

Tahiti's community of some 200 Jews is among the farthest flung in the world.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

The Dead Sea Scrolls . . . via La Jolla

By Rob Eshman

Thursday, October 25, 2007

The stress-less Cote d’Azur

By Julie Mautner

But with the summer reopening of Club Med Opio in Provence -- after a $40 million renovation -- it's possible to avoid every one of those hassles. Within an hour of my arrival, I felt totally blessed rather than stressed. Call it the kinder, gentler Cote d'Azur.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Good employment practices a sign for Israeli tourists

By Jeremy Wimpfheimer

Yet, as a result of the efforts of Bema'aglei Tzedek, a Jerusalem-based nonprofit organization, consumers are now on the lookout for a second type of certificate indicating that the restaurant conforms to a completely separate set of kosher guidelines -- good employment practices and accessibility for the disabled. Called the Social Seal or tav chevrati in Hebrew, the certificate is now being prominently displayed in more than 300 Israeli eateries from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and in various other locales. It was introduced by Bema'aglei Tzedek to combat what the organization's director, Asaf Banner, calls "an all too often ignored, yet deeply troubling, aspect of Israeli society."

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Chabad seeks ‘members of the tribe’ in Australian outback

By Dan Goldberg

The idea of hunting for Jews in the Australian outback may sound as ridiculous as combing the streets of Jerusalem for Aborigines. But when two Chabad emissaries set out this summer to find landsmen in the desolate outback, they were not disappointed.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Party planning in the Holy Land is just a mouse click away

By Francesca Lunzer Kritz

Planning a bar mitzvah in Israel? The Israeli Ministry of Tourism has just posted a Web site to help you get started

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Culinary and cultural riches await visitors to the Galilee

By Orit Arfa

A walking tour within non-Jewish towns and villages -- with or without guides -- can be an eye-opening, informative, tasty and heart-warming experience. On a recent tour in the Galilee focusing on different religions in the Western Galilee, I meandered through Muslim, Christian and Druze towns, as well as Baha'i landmarks, only to discover cultural richness, friendliness -- and some surprises.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Roman Holiday

By Rob Eshman

Put aside the wonderful food and wine -- for a moment -- and a European vacation becomes a trip backward in time through century after century of religious fervor.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Where to party in Haifa, ‘the city that works’

By Orit Arfa

Thursday, July 5, 2007

When in Rome, eat kosher like the Romans

By Paul Bompard

Shops selling kosher products say the increased demand is coming mainly from Jews. But restaurateurs say at least half their customers are non-Jews who want to sample classic Roman Jewish cooking, which many consider to be the most sophisticated of traditional Roman cuisines.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Israelis develop a taste for goats’ and sheep’s milk cheeses

By Orit Arfa

As Israel becomes sophisticated gastronomically, consumers are favoring goat's and sheep's milk cheeses over cow's milk varieties. Unlike their bovine counterparts, most goats and sheep are free to roam and graze, antibiotics aren't usually a part of their diet, the cheese and milk contain less lactose and the taste is unmistakably distinct.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Bimboim’s trip to the Western Wall (kotel)

Bimbo -- Betty Boop's canine companion in all those old Max Fleischer cartoons -- liberates his inner Jew to fly to the Wailing Wall (kotel) in Jerusalem in this new homage to animator Fleischer.