The first mention in JTA of the Hebrew word hasbarah was in 1988, at the height of the first intifada. The article focused on Israeli and American Jews’ concern that the media were showing … more

Imagine the scene: A beautiful afternoon, with a breeze blowing a group of children and teenagers’ kites in the wind. The sound of their laughter carries across the sand. An innocent scene, … more

The rules for appointing a king are followed by a few personal restrictions the Torah places on him: he must be an observant Jew with all that entails, and he may not have an excess of horses, … more

Our parasha, Shoftim, contains the celebrated verse, “Justice, justice shall you pursue, [in order] that you may live and possess the land the L-rd, your G-d, is giving you.” (Devarim … more

Each generation of Jewish parents seems to face the same dilemma. We teach our children that all humans are created in the image of G-d; to respect and assist others; that love of G-d means love … more

My inspiration this week comes from a magazine article featuring 50 kinds of sliders. It looked like fun, so I tried a few vegetarian ones and some made from salmon and eggplant. I made several … more

I was at a wedding in LA when the family of the groom decided to daven mincha. Someone immediately asked, “Which way is east?” I was struck by the fact that in Israel, no one … more

There’s an old saying “Seeing is Believing.” But while many idioms have truth, this one is factually inaccurate. I’ve watched many a magic trick, both live and recorded. I … more

Eight Jewish organizations this week signed a statement accusing Israel of, in effect, racism. Seven of them were left-wing groups whose harsh criticism of Israel is old news. But one was the … more

The Egyptian government recently passed a new law against spreading “rumors.” By “rumors,” President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi means anything that might undermine confidence in … more