ChavyJo
Go on, Prove it.
The New York Times published a story today — How Do You Prove You’re a Jew? I’ve had some problems with the website loading, so be patient. It’s worth the read.
Just when you thought it was difficult as a Jew by Choice (a convert, that is, by any conversion necessary) to make aliyah, you [...]
The Volatile Religious Marketplace in the U.S.
I am sure that by now you all have seen — or heard about — the new study released by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The group interviewed more than 35,000 adults — an amazing scope for such a study! And the results of this survey? The revelation that Americans are switching [...]
When Jews Become the Cool Kids
I read an article today from World Jewish Digest about the popularity of Jews and Judaism in the U.S., and I thought it would be worth a mention here. It’s a really interesting piece that discusses how we’re handling this newfound popularity. I mean, just look at Madonna and all those celebrities who are hopping [...]
T’Rumah — תרומה
This week’s Torah portion is T’rumah, which means gift or offering. This is the portion of Exodus where the instructions are given for the Tabernacle (Mishkan) and all Israelites whose hearts so moved them are instructed to round up the supplies for the construction of the structure, a "sanctuary" for G-d. And within this Tabernacle, [...]
Beshalach and the Path of Conversion
Each week when I read the Torah portion, I try to find a way to relate it to conversion. I think it’s easy to find these little gleanings in every portion, but in some they are more evident than others. In this week’s parashah, Beshalach, G-d leads the Israelites on the most difficult route, surpassing [...]