Torah Portion: Va-yeyra, Genesis 18:1-22:24 Many rabbis and cantors — myself included — have been asked: “What do you do if a Torah Scroll falls to the floor?” (For the answer, read on to the end.) For this Shabbat, here are two texts. First,...

A Bintel Brief, Yiddish for a bundle of letters, has been solving reader dilemmas since 1906. Send yours via email, social media or this form. Dear Bintel,  I am on my synagogue’s board. A man on the board makes me uncomfortable. His wife was...

(JTA) — For an energetic group, increasing the influence of Christianity in American life and returning the country to what they see as its founding Christian ideals. Scholars say these Christian nationalists have claimed a prominent, mainstream...

This article initially appeared in My Jewish Learning’s Shabbat newsletter Recharge. To sign up to receive Recharge each week in your inbox, click here. This Shabbat, like every Shabbat, synagogues around the world will pray for the welfare of their...

This is not a happy story, but it is one of truth. Three years ago, our 15-year-old grandson Noah Arnold was hit by a car in Beverly Hills, Calif. and ultimately died from his injuries. I never believed that lightening could or would strike twice but...

Recently seen on Facebook: “Ese momento when publican un meme auf English, Deutsch und Espanol aber du are poliglota und expert in memes and du kannst camprender drei languages al miso Zeit.” The reader who is as enamored with languages...

Kids, these days. No one knows what they’re talking about! It’s probably the same stuff we talked about when we were young but with new words.  Remember being young, when you didn’t have back pain and went out for the evening at 10 p.m.? Those...

This is an adaptation of our editor-in-chief’s weekly newsletter. Sign up to get it delivered to your inbox on Friday afternoons. At a Jewish conference in Chicago last month, I picked up a T-shirt for the husband with a single word on it:...

Every year, as we study this week’s Torah portion, Bereshit, I find myself thinking of two remarkable rabbis.  The first rabbi I associate with Parashat Bereshit is Rabbi Sally J. Priesand. In 1972, Rabbi Priesand was ordained by the Hebrew Union...

As a candidate for the Missouri State Senate, I am eager to respond to the comments made by those questioning my support for Israel. While State Senators don’t have much sway on our nation’s foreign policy, they do have an impact on reproductive...

Autumn fills my soul with beauty. I take delight in the crisp air, and the artist’s array of beautiful leaves. The audible crunch of leaves under my boots is an old familiar sound. I welcome dusk at an earlier hour. The long evening stretches ahead...

Like you, I receive many calls from candidates on November’s ballot. As a resident of Missouri Senate District 15 (Chesterfield, Town and Country, Ballwin), I was particularly interested in Joe Pereles, who is running to represent me. His campaign materials...