At the start of this parsha is a cluster of laws that challenged and puzzled the commentators. They concern a woman who has just given birth. If she gives birth to a son, she is “unclean … more

Some liberal American Jewish organizations are urging President Trump to oppose Israeli annexation of any part of Judea and Samaria. Some conservative Jewish organizations are urging the … more

A few months ago, a couple got involved in the Chicago Jewish community. Rivkah Weber and David Costello started attending an Orthodox synagogue in the West Ridge neighborhood. They looked and acted … more

Israeli society has been gripped over the past week by the killing of Solomon Tekah, an unarmed 19-year-old Ethiopian Israeli. On June 30, an off-duty Israeli police officer shot and killed Tekah … more

“Jew down” seems to be making a comeback — or maybe it never left the lexicon. In April, a City Council member uttered the term at a meeting in Jeffersonville, … more

The focus of this week’s essay is “Cardozo on the Parashah: Genesis,” the latest work by the distinguished scholar, Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo. The founder and dean of … more

Have you heard the one about how to tell the gefilte from all the other fish in the sea? Simple, it’s the one with the carrot on its head. Or what type of cigarettes do Jewish mothers … more

Rabbi Moshe Sokolow, professor of Jewish Education at Yeshiva University, had this to say about “Meditations at Twilight on Genesis” by Rabbi Melvin Granatstein: “When the … more

It was nearly another weekend of vandalized synagogues. Instead, police caught a break early Saturday when a man riding a bicycle against traffic on Delafield Avenue ended up being exactly who they … more

As I sit down to write this week’s column, I’m thinking about what I will eat before and after the fast (I’d rather not think about the … more