Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel
The following are the stages by which the Israelites journeyed up by companies from the land of Egypt under the guidance of Moses and Aaron. - (Numbers 33:1)
The biblical narrator lists 42 stopping points beginning with Egypt. Some of the mystical commentaries make a penetrating observation: The journey toward the Promised Land did not occur in one stage, but in forty-two stages.
Why did it take so ...
The Middle East has often been synonymous with the metaphors of despair and angst. This story began about six years ago, when a young Israeli Arab law student and musician named George Khoury, was accidentally killed by a drive-by Palestinian terrorist, while jogging in East Jerusalem’s French Hill neighborhood. The terrorists exclaimed afterward, “Oops, we thought your son was Jewish. Sorry . . .”
To most people, a victim of terrorism is just a statistic-unless you happen to personally know who ...
Learn More ShareUnderstanding the “Real” War Against the Internet
Strangely, Rosenblum neglects to mention the most important aspect about the Haredi war against the Internet-they fear its self critiquing and self-examination much more than the erotic websites. Banning the Internet promotes the conspiracy of silence it desires. Ynet news uncovered a document where the rabbis denounce the websites – the majority of which are daily news publications unsanctioned by the ultra-Orthodox ...
Learn More ShareWhy Are Jews Liberals?
By Norman Podhoretz
Doubleday, 337 pages, $27
Some of you may be surprised to know that shortly before Rosh Hashanah, President Obama made a conference call with more than 1000 rabbis, encouraging them to speak about the health-care reform in their sermons this year. Because of my belief in the separation of Church and State issues, I will respectfully decline. I enjoy writing my own sermons and do not require political assistance from Washington to help craft my holiday ...
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A Personal Note to Prof. Walter Davis and the Presbyterian Church
My personal history with the Presbyterian Church goes back to the early 1990s, when they accepted me as a student for their doctoral program. In the three years I attended the SFTS (San Francisco Theological Seminary) in San Anselmo, CA., I considered it one of the most important learning experiences of my life. I had some outstanding scholars ...
Learn More ShareCategories: American Jewish Issues, Anti-Semitism, Contrarian wisdom, Current Events, ethics, good and evil, Holocaust Related Issues, Interfaith Dialogue, Political Commentaries