News
Ethel Zelenske Finds Her Way Back To Judaism At Bolton Street Synagogue
1+ hour, 24+ min ago (593+ words) Ethel Zelenske, the daughter of two Holocaust survivors and the immediate past president of Bolton Street Synagogue, said her parents met in a displaced persons camp in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she was raised. Zelenske said growing up, the synagogue was…...
D'var Torah: Learning From Balaam's Story: The Idea of "Sin' and Thinking About Our Actions
4+ day, 4+ hour ago (684+ words) By Liam Nadiv This week's Torah portion is Chukat-Balak: Numbers 19: 1 " 25: 9 Balak, one of this week's parshiot, focuses on the story of Balaam, a sorcerer, hired by Balak, the king of Moab, an enemy of Israel, to curse Israel. However, every…...
Rabbi Gustav Buchdahl, Champion of Social Justice, Dies at 91
1+ week, 3+ day ago (906+ words) Rabbi Gustav "Gus" Buchdahl always knew what it meant to be a refugee. Born in Germany, he was just 2 years old when his parents brought him to the United States in 1938, escaping Nazi persecution. The experience shaped the rest of…...
Alexander Abramovich Levin
1+ week, 3+ day ago (170+ words) of Reisterstown, passed away on May 13, at the age of 99. He is survived by his devoted wife, Marianna Levin (nee Teleshevsky); loving children, Irina Lidow and Vladimir Levin; beloved grandchildren, Barno Salamova, Laziz Rakhimov, and Vita Levin; and cherished great-grandchild,…...
D'var Torah: Korah's Rebellion: A "Controversy for the Sake of Heaven'
1+ week, 4+ day ago (347+ words) By Clifford S. Fishman This week's Torah portion is Korach: Numbers 16: 1 " 18: 32 I seek to "controvert" that conclusion. I believe Korah's rebellion had a legitimate purpose, and therefore "endures" " i. e. , his cause retains value even today. Korah's goal " to persuade Moses to consult…...
More than a GPA: Inside the Movement to End Letter Grades in Jewish Education
1+ week, 4+ day ago (1054+ words) At least three times each school year, middle school pupils at the Oakland Hebrew Day School write divrei Torah, or essays on a Torah passage. They read a section of the Torah, come up with a series of questions and…...
Opinion: Jewish America Is Waiting to Feel Safe Again
1+ week, 4+ day ago (738+ words) One year ago, I wrote in the New York Post that I would no longer financially support Jewish organizations that had failed to meet the defining challenge facing American Jewry: protecting Jewish Americans in an era of rising antisemitism. I…...
Opinion: Questions Every American Jew Must Address
1+ week, 5+ day ago (508+ words) The Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and its aftermath, and the war in Iran, have increased anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment. Every American Jew now must address the personal issues raised by this new environment. No matter what stage of life we…...
Editorial: The Catholic Front Against Antisemitism
1+ week, 5+ day ago (247+ words) One of the great successes of modern interfaith relations has been the transformation of Catholic-Jewish relations. Old prejudices that once shaped religious life gave way to dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect. The change did not happen by accident. It was…...
Baltimore Rabbis in Israel!
1+ week, 5+ day ago (116+ words) A delegation of Baltimore rabbis traveled to Israel to explore Eretz Yisroel and learn about the possibility of Orthodox families moving there, as many have already done. It was a productive trip with filled with constructive conversation. (Courtesy of Baltimore…...