Hebrew Names for Girls
If you are of the Hebrew faith, you may want to give your newborn child a name in accordance to the religion. Today, depending on what part of the world …
The Sequence of Holy Days in Jewish Life and Practice
Celebrating the Zionist Festival Jerusalem-It’s the 29th of Cheshvan, not a particularly noteworthy day for most Jews in the world. But for Jews from Ethiopia, this date has long been …
Overview of the different Hanukkah Traditions
In every tradition there is an interpretation that resonates deep within our souls. The tradition of the menorah is one of those. No one shares the same belief or interpretation …
Do Prayers Work
I truly believe in prayer. I have experienced it working in my life. I don’t think the power to answer prayer lies in God. I believe it is people using …
How Jews have been Treated as Scapegoats Past and Present
To put it bluntly, the enemies of the Jews have used as an excuse the words of the Bible to say they were guilty of killing Jesus and the prophets. …
Principle Concept and Symbolism of Kabbalah
Spiritual concepts can sometimes be tricky to explain, but here goes… The Ten Emanations, also known as the 10 sefirot of the Tree of Life configuration is one of the …
The Covenant in Judaism
A conundrum that plagues most modern scholars and Liberal Arts students is whether or not to believe in religion through the teaching of the scriptures, or those of the religious …
Lighting the Menorah
I was first allowed to accompany my mother in lighting the candles when I was five years old. She gave me a red shmata (headscarf) that looked quite a bit …
Best Texts for the Haggadah in English for Passover
Haggadah: Telling The Story Haggadah is the Hebrew word for “telling the story.” Traditionally, the word is used to refer to an actual book from which the traditional stories and …
Jewish Food an Overview
Like all aspects of Jewish life what is and is not allowed when it comes to food is determined by the Torah and the Talmud. From the beginning, God set …
What is Halacha
Halakhah (as spelled here: Most people spell it “halacha”) is a Hebrew word meaning “The Way”, and is used to denote the rules by which the Jewish religion is governed. …
Shekinah Goddess of the Jews
When I think of Judaism, I think of a monotheistic religion, that worships a patriarchal God. But, in the Hebrew Bible in the book of Jeremiah 7: 17-18 God speaks …
Conservative Judaism Explained
It was not until the Jewish people began to migrate across the pod to American that the various terms for Judaism appeared – Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. Jews in the …
Significance of the Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant is one the most well known, and perhaps one of the most mysterious artifacts of the Jewish and Christian religions. When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem …
Pondering Israels Law of Return
Not that long ago, Rabbi Shlomo Amar tried to force a change in Israel’s Law of Return which would have made it much more difficult for many people wishing to …
Jewish Culture in America Today
“I have a business proposition for you.” Amit’s Israeli accent was thick and I was having trouble understanding him over the phone. I pushed the little piece of plastic further …
Elijah’s Cup Anticipating Messiah
To Jewish people, Elijah’s cup at the Passover Seder dinner symbolizes an expectant hope for the coming of Elijah to announce the Messiah. Observant Jews practice the Passover Seder each …
The Accomplishments of King David
He was born son of Jesse and became known as the fearless shepherd boy slayer of giants (Goliath). Young David learned the value of true friendship from Jonathon, son of …
Jewish History and Faith Models for Overcoming Suffering
Go back in time, and you won’t be able to disagree with me. We have been slaves, we have been killed, we have been driven from our lands and much …
Solomons Temple Archaeology of Palestine
Solomon’s Temple – the archaeology of Palestine As far as archaeological remains go, historians have no solid evidence from the first temple, the building itself as well as the furnishings. …
Understand the Blesseing of Yom Kippur
The name Yom Kippur translates to Day of Atonement. This is probably the most celebrated of the Jewish holidays. The purpose of the holiday is to make your last appeal …
Children of the Holocaust
During the holocaust, both German and Jewish children, some a mere ten or eleven years old, were forced by circumstance to take on the role of caretaker, breadwinner or defender …
Redemption as Understood in Orthodox Judaism
It is known that society, at some point, will realize that evil is rooted in the uncontrolled consumption of resources. Parts of the world subjugating other parts of the world …
Who was King Solomon
Solomon is probably one of the most well-known kings of biblical times. The exact dates of his rule are disputed but he became king in about 967 BCE and ruled …
The Role of the Mother in Jewish Culture
If you read the ancient biblical text: Proverbs 31:10-31, you will read about a woman with a noble character. In the Jewish culture, a woman with these qualities is praised …
Jewish Culture in Europe Today
(Holocaust Remembrance Day is highly controversial in England. My former writing professor, Julia Pascal, made a film concerning Holocaust survivors in order to raise support.) The women’s eyes glistened as …
What is Yom Kippur Understanding Yom Kippur Yom Kippur Observances
Understanding Yom Kippur – for the Non-Jewish. Prayer, penitence, fasting and feasting mark the most important of Jewish holidays; one that is most likely to see the otherwise non-observant go …
Jewish Personal Identity and Roots
I am Jewish by birth, the child of two reform Jewish parents who believed in the “tradition” as opposed to the strict beliefs of the religion.I feel a sense of …
Passover Exodus Jewish Holidays Pesach Plagues Birte Edwards Technocrati
Passover The holiday of Passover is the celebration by Jews of the Exodus out of Egypt, out of slavery and into a life as free men. It is the first …
What is the Jewish Holiday of Tu Bshevat
Tu BShvat is a celebration of the New Year for Trees. In ancient times, ten percent of the fruit of the harvest was tithed to the priests or the poor, …
The Story of Esau and Jacob from Esau’s Point of View
Call me Esau. Or call me Edom, for that, is the name of my nation and of my people, the Edomites. I have become very wealthy and powerful, acquiring vast …
Consequences of the Holocaust
The Holocaust was a deliberately planned genocide of what Hitler termed inferior members of the human race; these included Jews, gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and homosexuals. During 1941-44 six million Jews …