(JTA) — Mike Hale ruined “The Gilded Age” for me. After reading his New York Times pan of the HBO series about Old New York — he called it ”a muddled and slapdash portrait … that consistently dips into caricature” — I figured there were...
(JTA) — It is rare that one can say attending a funeral was an uplifting experience. Yet the funeral Thursday for Judah Samet — teacher of Torah at his Tree of Life synagogue, possessor of a unique and vigorous voice and sense of humor, veteran of...
JUDY LASH BALINT, JNS
• Published September 29, 2022
(JNS) Is there any other country in the world that goes silent once a year for more than 24 hours? In Israel, from the eve of Yom Kippur (Tuesday, Oct. 4) until an hour after sunset the next night, there’s no traffic apart from emergency vehicles,...
ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL, JTA
• Published September 25, 2022
(JTA) — One of the centerpieces of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgy is the “Avinu Malkeinu” prayer — Our Father, Our King. It’s a desperate and emotional appeal for forgiveness, set to powerful melodies over the centuries.
It’s...
Mimi David, Special For The Jewish Light
• Published September 22, 2022
Rosh Hashanah can seem confusing. On one hand, we know it is the Day of Judgment, a day on which the future of every human being and really of the entire world is discerned.
On the other hand, it is a day of celebration. We wear our nicest clothes,...
Look at evidence in school safety debate
In response to the letter to the editor from Gene Carton in your Aug. 24 issue (“Arming educators and clergy could help curb violence”), the author cites no study or evidence or any statistics behind his position...
By ELI GOTTLIEB, JTA
• Published September 21, 2022
(JTA) — “Hey Allies: Please don’t schedule meetings or events on the Jewish holidays!” So says a meme that has circulated widely before about the dates for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah.
Seems like a pretty harmless and...
(JTA) — I have been shocked lately by the number of my friends who have left synagogues because of a pattern of unkind remarks from rabbinic and volunteer leaders. A Jew-by-choice belittled. A twenty-something shamed. A professional demeaned.
Jewish...
By Buckingham Wealth Advisor John Corn, CPA, PFS, Special For The Jewish Light
• Published September 20, 2022
The High Holy Days are just around the corner. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve spending time with family, listening to the sounds of the Shofar, devouring apples dipped in honey and overloading on challah. As we get older, many of us begin...
Dear reader,
Honey cake is the sweet baked treat many Jews eat on Rosh Hashanah to bring in a sweet Jewish New Year. For many, the cake has come to be a symbol. As children, the smells and flavors that emanated from the kitchens of our families are...
(JTA) — I am one of those people who gobble up films and television shows about the royal family almost as soon as they come out. And yet, watching “The Crown,” my thoughts would run like this: “This is great television,” I would say after...
(JTA) — When I spoke recently at a conference on fighting antisemitism, I offered up one practical suggestion that might have surprised attendees: “I hope you’ll watch ‘Mo’ on Netflix.”
I was on a panel called “Combating Hate Through Coalition...
