When we had my son Rafi, knowing he was the last baby, I nicknamed him Rafikomen. The Ari taught that Jewish parents are imbued with Ruach Hakodesh (Divine inspiration) when they name their children. The names they choose describe the essence of their children. The gemara (Talmud) discusses a similar idea in terms of character in […]
Dear Jew in the City- My son recently started putting on tefillin. Is there anything meaningful that I can share with him about this mitzvah? Thank you, Allison Dear Allison- Nope. Not a thing. I’m kidding. There’s actually quite a bit one could say about the significance of tefillin. It always struck me as strange […]
What began as Asher Rosenfeld’s bar mitzvah project has turned into a charity boasting a big impact. Inspired by his coming-of-age and wanting to incorporate community service into his celebration, Rosenfeld decided to create an opportunity for special needs children. The New York 7th grader began a project called “Audibles with Asher,” in order for […]
Screen icon, Kirk Douglas, died yesterday at age 103. Born Issur Danielovitch to a Russian Jewish immigrant family, he built an incredible 87-film-long career and is beloved worldwide for his performances in films like Spartacus, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Paths of Glory and Lust for Life. He received an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement […]
My paternal grandfather’s family assimilated so long ago that my great-great-grandmother used to spoil my grandfather by sneaking him pork chops in place of veal chops! Only one of my four grandparents was raised religious – my mother’s father. But like the rest of my recent ancestors, he too walked away from the ways of […]
Preventing Sexual Abuse in the Ultra-Orthodox Community Tahel, the crisis center for religious women and children, is reaching out to one of the most insulated communities in Israel by tackling sexual abuse among the ultra-Orthodox. Monday was the first day of the group’s three-day conference titled, “Creating Safe Communities; Creating Hope.” The gathering at the […]
