One of the best-known passages in the entire Torah is that of Birkat Kohanim (the Blessing of the Kohanim): The L-rd spoke to Moses saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: This is how you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them:“May the L-rd bless you and watch over you. May the L-rd cause His countenance to shine to you and favor you. May the L-rd raise His countenance toward you and grant you peace.” more

Seems like yesterday that I wrote about the chocolate cheesecake truffles recipe for Shavuot....oh, wait a minute it was yesterday that I wrote about it. Shavuot falling on a Tuesday, necessitated all columns to be in a week in advance, so that the paper would be published before Yom Tov. I’m more of a last minute, “Judy we need the column, we’re about to go to press” kind of person. more

Two speakers demonstrated a formidable show of support for Jerusalem and Israel at Ateret Cohanim’s dinner on Yom Yerushalayim. Newsmax radio show host Steve Malzberg lauded Ateret Cohanim’s “fine work to establish Jerusalem as the one and only undivided capital of the State of Israel forever” and lambasted Secretary of State John Kerry for his support of the Saudi “peace plan” and his equating “the death of an eight-year-old boy who was blown up on purpose, with the death of terrorists who were fighting when [Israeli soldiers] boarded the (Mavi Marmara) ship.” more

Hundreds of Rambam Mesivta protesters will rally at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza outside the United Nations at 1 PM on Monday, followed by another vigil by Midreshet Shalhevet High School at 2 PM, to call for the ouster of Richard A. Falk from his U.N. position. more

During the first Lebanon War in 1982, a captain in the elite Shaldag Israeli Air Force commando unit was injured in Syria and lost his right leg from the knee down. He had been an avid bike rider and fast runner. At age 23 he was fitted with an immediate prosthetic leg and had rehabilitation for three weeks. more

The Jewish Star would like to express condolences to Mrs. Shani Hikind, Executive Vice President of the American Friends of Ateret Cohanim/Jerusalem Chai, upon the loss of her mother, Mrs. Miriam Kahn, a”h, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Miriam Bat Yehuda Yitzchok, z”l. Burial was in the Eretz haChaim Cemetery in Beit Shemesh, Israel. Yehay Zichrah Baruch. more

Last week’s Benghazi hearings were a disappointment. The testimony and the probing questions from the Republican members of Congress were all up to professional standards, America learned much more about what happened on 9/11/12 (although there is still more to learn). more

May 19 First Annual Conference of the Dead Sea Scrolls The Yeshiva University Dead Sea Scrolls Seminar May 19, 2013 – 1:30-4:30 PM Lipschutz-Gutwirth Study Hall 2501 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10033 Light refreshments. RSVP to Amy Rotheim Sullivan – enrollment@yu.edu more

This year we are witnessing the publication of several new English language commentaries on the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar that will definitely warrant your attention. This essay will be the first in a series on this topic. more

Who was arrested by the Ottomans in 1894; when he died in 1922 was refused burial rites by the Chevra Kaddisha; and his 150th birthday was celebrated in 2008 by UNESCO? Hint: he was responsible for the revival of Hebrew as the mother tongue of Jews growing up in Israel, transforming it back into a spoken language ... more