W ith the onset of Pesach, I find the study of the historical and philosophical side of our religious tradition to be of great inspiration in getting myself into the “holiday mood.” Thus, … more

This is one of my favorite times of year, the time I get to clean out the pantry and start all over again after Passover. It is the time to use up all the half bags of rice and pasta and cans of … more

I created a program several years ago called ParshaDrama, in which I go to a school and present the weekly Torah portion to different grades through a combination of storytelling and dramatics, … more

There was a time when I would only go out of my way to listen to speakers who were older and more experienced than I. Recently, however, I changed my preferences and began to seek out rabbis and … more

I t was the Septuagint, the early Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, that translated tsara’at, the condition whose identification and cleansing occupies much of Tazria and Metzora as … more

The words that come to me as I absorb with great sadness the sudden passing of Joseph Lieberman, of blessed memory, are from the verses describing his namesake, Joseph in ancient Egypt: How all who … more

What do you call a Jewish house of prayer? When was the State of Israel founded? Which cities in our country have the largest Jewish communities? These are just three of the 20 questions about … more

B eware the Ides of March. Not that Ides! This past Ides of March — give or take a few days. The infamy of that earlier Ides lives on, 2,068 years later, with a similar drama of betrayal, … more

It’s no surprise that one of Israel’s harshest critics in Washington doesn’t understand Judaism, even as he uses it to obscure his antisemitism. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, the … more

Here we are, on the cusp of the holiday of Pesach that in every manner of theme and observance surely defines us as a people. To help us prepare to respond to our children who may questions the … more