When I think back to my earliest Jewish experiences, it’s hard not to think about music. Passover was the euphoria of “Dayenu”, Yom Kippur the devastating elegance of “Avinu Malkeinu”. I remember birthdays and bar mitzvahs and weddings–lots and lots…
10 Ways to Give Charity With an Empty Wallet
“Another GoFundMe.” You wonder aloud if you should dip into your savings. “Donate money to Wikipedia!” You close the tab and eye your wallet warily. Luckily, there are ways to give to others without spending an arm, a leg, and…
Is God a Sexist?
Ethiopians say that their gods are snub–nosed and blackThracians that they are pale and red-haired –Xenophanes (c.570-c.475 BCE) Traditional religions of virtually whatever stripe are sexist: they cast men and women in sharply different roles, with males dominant. Religion plays a leading…
The Mishkan: A Lesson in Unity
The Midrash to Proverbs opens with a quote from the Book of Job: “Where can wisdom be found? Where is the source of understanding?” (Job 28:12). In the Midrash, Rabbi Tanhum ben Hanilai suggests that these questions refer to King…
Israeli Breakthrough in Cancer Research Leads to Promising Results
A team of Israeli scientists believe they are on the brink of discovering a cure to cancer. According to 2013-2015 data from the National Cancer Institute, approximately 38.4 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer within their…
10 Reasons College Students Should Go Tech Free On Shabbat
It will allow you to deepen the relationships you care most about. In this day and age, very few people can sit through a concert, a dinner date or a family celebration without taking pictures and checking social media. Unplugging…
From Gamal (Camel) to Halalit (Spacecraft): How Does Hebrew, an Ancient Language, Cope with Modern Life and Globalism
One of the most impressive achievements of Zionism is undoubtedly the revival of an ancient and medieval language (mostly Bible and the Talmudic literatures), and its subsequent adaptation into a modern, sophisticated all-encompassing language. Modern Hebrew responds to all the…
Don’t Tell Me What to Do!
We live in an age of radical autonomy. Each individual zealously guards their own independence from everyone else. We resent when someone presumes to tell us what is right or wrong, seeks to impose external limitations to our discretion or…
The Quintessential Jewish Mom
I left my house before writing this article with a four-course lunch packed in my bag with a note that writes, “I’ll miss your little punim while you’re learning so much in school!” One might ask, “Did this come from…
Wrap Your Head Around This: Women Can Wear Tefillin, Too!
If you were to visit the Western Wall today, you would see public stalls for men to wrap tefillin, a set of leather straps and small boxes meant to be worn during prayer. You would not see any stalls for…