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Elul in the War Years Brenda Goldstein On Friday, September 1, 1939—the 17th Elul, 5699—Germany invaded Poland, an act widely seen as the start of World War II. While Jews across Europe prepared for Shabbos and the upcoming High Holidays, their world turned into a…

Elul in the War Years

Dear Readers, Each night, year-round, we lie down in bed expecting to wake up refreshed and revitalized from the fatigue of the previous day. The same is true each Elul/Tishrei season in a more general sense: all the previous months, with their specific yomim tovim…

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Does nullification apply to a mixture of similar items? Rabbi Shmuel Wise The daf of last Shabbos gave us the opportunity to review the mishnah in Zevachim that discusses this question. The mishnah there discusses a case where some sacrificial blood got mixed in with…

Weekly Daf: Does nullification apply to a mixture of similar items?

Our Spiritual Journey Brenda Goldstein When this writer heard about L.A.-based artist and master calligrapher Rae Shagalov’s “Five-Day Creative Torah Journaling Challenge,” I signed up right away. Following publication of her book Create Your Joyfully Jewish Life: A 30 Day Step-By-Step Workshop and Creative Journal…

Our Spiritual Journey: A Profile Holy Sparks Publishing Co.

Freedom to Forgive Sarah Pachter To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.—Lewis B. Smedes While researching forgiveness, I came across the following example.[1] Jennifer, 65, is very angry at her ex-boyfriend. It seems he asked her best…

Humor: Sibling Revelry Rebecca Klempner There are times when I struggle to find topics for my columns, and there are times when a topic lands in my lap in the middle of Shabbos lunch. This past Shabbos afternoon, I sat at our table, innocently arranging…

Humor: Sibling Revelry

Seven Ways Parents Hurt Their Children Rabbi Dov Heller A colleague once introduced a parenting class in the following way: “All parents make mistakes. It’s just that some make bigger mistakes than others.” Here are seven serious mistakes that parents make that hurt their children.…

Seven Ways Parents Hurt Their Children

Dear Readers, Is tension a good thing? How about nerves—do they have a purpose? All around us, we see messages telling us to relax and lead stress-free lives. Yet at the same time we’re told life is all about growing and going beyond our natural…

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Westwood Kehilla Wins the OU Women’s Initiative Challenge Grant Yehudis Litvak A local synagogue, Westwood Kehilla, won the Orthodox Union (OU) Women’s Initiative Challenge Grant for its new Inspiring Women’s Leadership program. Westwood Kehilla, a small congregation with approximately 60 members, is one of 16…

Westwood Kehilla Wins the OU Women’s Initiative Challenge Grant

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The Dodgers are all Home Runs with Chai Lifeline Families Children living with serious illnesses, their families, and volunteers from Chai Lifeline West Coast, a health support network which provides emotional, social, and financial support to children with life-threatening or lifelong illnesses and their families,…

The Dodgers are all Home Runs with Chai Lifeline Families

Dear Readers, Elul in the beginning of August? They seem opposite. Elul is a serious and reflective period, and summer has a relaxed tone to it. Is there anything we can learn from a calendar like this year’s when Labor Day is more than three…

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Modesty, Part Two Sarah Pachter I recently conducted a survey with female participants from across the nation. Their ages varied from nine to 65, and I made sure to include women from a variety of religious backgrounds and observance levels. I asked only one question,…

Torah Musings: Modesty, Part Two

Busting Modesty Myths Sarah Pachter Modesty is a complicated topic, addressed all too often in a superficial way. Some suggest that it only needs to be practiced by one gender. It’s often assumed that practicing modesty involves merely clothing, that it’s intent is to diminish…

Torah Musings: Busting Modesty Myths