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A light in the darkness

I am HaShem; I have called you with righteousness; I will strengthen your hand; I will protect you; I will set you for a covenant to the people, for a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6)
We as Jews are commanded to be a “light unto the nations” (לאור גוים). As such, it is our obligation [...]

Video: Jerusalem "Within These Walls"

A few days ago I stumbled across an online version of a an old National Geographic documentary (which I’m sure was part of a larger series) on Jerusalem. It was produced back somewhere around the mid 80s, so it’s a little dated now but interesting nonetheless. It basically presents a snapshot of what the city [...]

Abuse: Two Jewish responses

In the past couple of weeks here in Israel, several stories have broken in the press about severe child abuse, including one here in Beit Shemesh.  There is a fine old saying that “The Jews are just like everyone else, only more so.”  God forbid.  But unfortunately, spousal and child abuse do occur within the [...]

No Pain, No Gain: Becoming a Jew and Personal Loss

As a convert to Judaism, I have been asked several times by born Jews why on earth I would have made the decision to convert to Judaism. It is a strange sounding question to me, because, obviously, I felt strongly enough about becoming a Jew that I was willing to undergo the lengthy and [...]