If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them! Four Out Of Four (Part Four)
It didn't take long to understand the depths of the Torah lifestyle.
Off The Derech (Part III)
It was obvious I was in the wrong place with the wrong people and I needed to get out of there.
The Ultimate Title Match
Pesach is the time of redemption and salvation, which can often come from the most unexpected sources. Such is the story of a boxing title fight in Yankee Stadium that launched a young boy from Russia on a journey to discover his Jewish heritage in Israel.
From Our Homeland To The Land Of Our Captivity: Rinat Yisrael For Children Outside...
While the Rinat Yisrael siddur’s original editions relied on the support of the Religion and Education Ministries, the edition meant for Diaspora Jews was funded by the World Zionist Organization’s department for Torah education and culture in the Diaspora.
A Revolutionary Rabbinic Idea For Organ Donations
JERUSALEM – A leading Orthodox rabbi in Israel has a revolutionary proposal for the harvesting of organs from a clinically dead patient. At present, his proposal not only has no support from other rabbis, it is also against Israeli law – but he is not fazed.
Back on the Field Again
Shlomo Veingrad has traveled further for his speaking engagements than even during his days in the NFL, crisscrossing America and speaking around the world.
The Genizah Journey: Where Does Your Shaimos Go After You Drop It Off?
Genizah is not overseen by any national rabbinic authority in the United States, and it is a tradition practiced not only in the Orthodox world but by other streams of Judaism as well.
Off The Derech (Part II)
Makom, a branch of the organization Jew In The City (JITC), was founded in 2014 by Allison Josephs, to help Jews who feel they no longer want to stay in their community of birth find a new community of choice – instead of leaving Judaism altogether in frustration.
National Prayers In Meah Shearim: The Beit Tefilah – Har Tziyon Siddur
As a siddur meant for both religious Zionists and non-Zionist charedim, and much like siddurim of previous generations, the original Beis Tefilah also did not include the national prayers – those said every Shabbat and those said on Israel’s Independence Day, Memorial Day, and Jerusalem Day.
Tasting the “Heat” of the Torah
As a Baal Teshuva who discovered the “emes” about eight years ago, I am often asked by my FFB friends in my very FFB neighborhood to describe what inspired my wife and I to take the plunge and more specifically, what it feels like to lead a Torah observant life after so many years of living on the “other side.”
Essential vs. Non-Essential: A Pesach Lesson of the Pandemic
This pandemic has forced us to redefine “essential” and “non-essential.” With the proper frame of mind, many of us can be empowered in unprecedented ways to sincerely and genuinely sing Dayeinu from the essence of our being.
From Russia To Hebrew Via Yiddish: The Shivchei Ge’ulim Siddur
The different target audiences led to the siddurim being printed in two versions: while the siddurim for olim from the Soviet Union contained the Israeli national prayers, those sent through various clandestine paths to Soviet Jews themselves contained no elements which might anger the Soviet authorities.
Torah Live’s Mezuzah Presentation – A New Approach To An Ancient Mitzvah
Nowadays, Jewish parents and educators must ask themselves how they can present Torah and mitzvot in a way that speaks to this generation. To many youth today, Judaism’s rich heritage seems outdated, irrelevant and boring.
Pickles And Prayers: The Tikkun Meir Siddur
In an effort to beat his competitors – both in the print and book sales business – Chinsky joined others in 1901 to found the Hebrew Publishing Company, the largest and oldest Jewish New York-based publishing house.
The Artscroll Siddur ‘According To The Customs Of Eretz Yisrael’
Artscroll-Mesorah is one of the largest publishing houses in the Jewish world, and despite its strongly conservative character, it enjoys increasing popularity – including in nationally minded Israeli communities.
Inside Purim: Even More Fascinating And Intriguing Insights On Purim And The Megillah
These are excerpts from the sefer “Inside Purim” which contains additional answers to the following questions and much more.
The Talk of Siddur Editors: The Tiklal Torah Avot
Aside from the dilemma between custom and text – which every editor likely deals with, implicitly or explicitly – Alsheikh also wondered about the siddur’s graphic design, while seeking to almost artificially fortify its identity as a religious prayer book.
Naomi Shemer’s Brooklyn: The Beit Yosef and Ohel Avraham Siddur
Shrem’s unique musical talents quickly earned him the right to serve as the chief chazzan at some of the most central and well-known Syrian shuls in the city: at Magen David and then Bnei Yosef.
A Soul On A Mission
Among them was Aryeh Abramov, 17, who was to leave for a year in Israel two days later. “He was an all-around good person,” Abramov said, “he gave to all of us by always making the minyan, so it’s nice that I can be here and make a minyan for him.”
Kabbalat Shabbat After Sunset: Sublime Or Superfluous?
Saying a shorter version of Kabbalat Shabbat would hardly be unprecedented or a scandalous reform.
And Study Of Prayer Above All: The Avi Chai Siddur
As has been noted elsewhere, Shlomo Tal originally sought to produce Rinat Yisrael based on nusach Sfard so as to unite people who had different traditions, but he found himself ultimately also producing siddurim for Ashkenazim and Mizrachi-Sefardi Jews.
Yafo And The Zionist Colonies: Rabbi Naftali Hertz Halevi And The Siddur HaGra
The siddur originally came out in two volumes, numbering a total of 330 pages. Despite Rabbi Halevi’s desire to produce a complete siddur, he ultimately only managed to cover weekdays and Shabbat (alongside berachos).
How Vayichan Brought Together Speakers From Across The Globe – And Across The Spectrum...
Rav Taragin doesn’t want to distract from the purpose of the program, whose essence is joining members of Klal Yisrael together.
Why Do We Read The Megillah?
On Purim we read Megillas Esther twice, once by night and once by day. It is uncertain what the nature of the obligation is.
Longing For The Background Music
At many points in his life, he intended to go in one direction, until Hashem pushed him back on the road to return.
The Power Of Prayer
The more we know and understand, the more focus and intention we put into our prayers, the more powerful they are.
A Guide To Help You Daven The Right Way
In Israel, most people are more careful to stress the end of the word (what’s called “mil’ra”), where it usually belongs for Hebrew words.
First Ever Book About the Jewish Festivals for Emerging Jewish Communities Released in Time...
The author of the book Ronit Treatman, the daughter of Israeli diplomats who speaks several languages and lives in Philadelphia, was inspired to write the book after she became involved with the Bnei Anousim, the tens of millions of people around the world descended from forcibly converted Spanish and Portuguese Jews through the organization Reconectar.
The Teshuva Journey: Four For Four (Part One)
The four Stern children reported that the religious observances felt like just that: observances of a culture with little relevance to their modern lives.
A Summary of Chanukah Laws
The following general overview of Chanukah laws - Chag Sameach!