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Professor Ze’ev Maghen, chairperson of the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at Bar-Ilan University, in his book: John Lennon and the Jews (2011) imagines a scene of two lovers about to be [...]

A Twitter chat is where a group of Twitter users “meet” at a pre-determined time to discuss a certain topic, using a designated hashtag (#) for each tweet contributed. One or more moderators will [...]

When God told Moses to lead the people out of Egypt, Moses was reluctant. He tried to refuse, saying “I have never been a man of words, either in times past or now that You have spoken to Your [...]

I recently took my kids to see the Disney Pixar movie, “The Good Dinosaur”. If you’re not familiar with the story, the film explores what the world would have been like if dinosaurs had never [...]

Joseph, as Pharaoh’s right-hand man, lived as a prince in Egypt, managing the Pharaoh’s response to the all-pervasive famine. He commanded legions of Egyptian workers, oversaw the storehouses and [...]

An old disability joke goes: A wheelchair user goes to buy stamps at the post office. She can’t get in because there’s no ramp. She calls to complain. The postmaster says, “That’s ridiculous. We [...]

Rochester’s Jewish community is in the midst of an intentional transformation. The Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester is working with representatives of many of our Jewish institutions [...]

In every reading and rereading of the Torah that I do, I’m constantly amazed by the brilliance of our matriarchs. Despite limited agency compared to their male counterparts, women in the Torah [...]

In Pirkei Avot Ben Zoma said: “Who is wise? One who learns from every person.” This is a central Jewish value. Everyone has something to learn, and everyone has something to teach. Some people [...]

In Toldot, this week’s Torah portion, Isaac urgently plans for the future. Between his advanced age and failing health, our second patriarch focuses on bestowing a blessing on his children. [...]