“And Aharon’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, each took his offering pan, put fire in it, placed incense upon it, and brought before God a foreign fire, which God had not commanded. And a fire went forth from before God and consumed them both, and they died...

It’s being called a social recession. A near collapse in human contact that is particularly hard on people who are most vulnerable to isolation and loneliness, which includes many older adults. The necessary steps taken to contain the coronavirus have...

I did not grow up with seders.By the time I became a Jew by choice, I was in my fifties.  I had been to a few seders, hosted by friends whose children and grandchildren turned them into raucous affairs.  I also attended one seder that was conducted...

Editor’s note: This column by Dr. James Hinrichs was made possible thanks to the generosity of Dr. Jonathan Root, Dr. Norman Druck and Galia Movitz. Thank you for your kind responses to my article last month in the Jewish Light on COVID-19. The situation...

Simchah Rabbah, Simchah Rabbah, Aviv Hegeea Pesach Ba! Great Joy, Great Joy, spring has arrived and Pesach is upon us! Each year, as we begin to see the first signs of spring, I am reminded of this lovely song from my childhood. It is of course common...

If you glanced at my work calendar, you might not know that the world is turned inside out. As a cantor and rabbi at a Los Angeles synagogue, I am continuing to lead services and counsel congregants. But like so many others, all of my meetings have been...

Mommy shaming, as it’s currently called, is nothing new. During this period of self-quarantine, a term that is sort of up for individual interpretation, mommy shaming has become a sport of Olympic proportions. And you don’t have to be a mommy to take...

Commentary leaves out crucial contextI am writing regarding the recent op-ed in The New York Times that compared Israel’s current coronavirus quarantine to the Israel Defense Forces military curfew of the Palestinians that occurred in 2002 (“Stay...

The Book of Leviticus, especially the first few portions, are filled with intricate details of the many types sacrifices God commanded the Israelites to make. In Hebrew, the word for sacrifice is korban, which comes from a Hebrew root, meaning “to draw...

When the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church meets for the solemn task of selecting a new pope, much of the world looks toward an ancient Vatican chimney. If black or gray smoke emerges, no candidate has been chosen to lead the world’s...

On March 4, 1933, in the depths of the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke to the nation after taking the oath of office as president. When FDR stood supported by his steel leg braces on that gray noon, he proclaimed a sentence that has...

Editor’s note: This column by Dr. James Hinrichs was made possible thanks to the generosity of Dr. Jonathan Root, Dr. Norman Druck and Galia Movitz. I was asked by Jewish Light to host a column on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.  I am board certified...