JEWISH HOME LA

Are beheimah and chayah groups or elements? Rabbi Shmuel Wise The answer to this question sheds light on Thursday’s daf (79) this week, which discusses hybrid animals. The main topic of our perek is the prohibition against slaughtering an animal and its offspring on the…

Book Reviews: Sarah Builds a School by Ann D. Koffsky and Leslie Ginsparg Klein (Menucha Publishers/Menucha Classroom Solutions 2018) & A Time for Vengeance by Nathaniel Wyckoff (2018) Reviewed by Rebecca Klempner While Angeleno Nathaniel Wyckoff has previously written a science-fiction/adventure series for middle grade…

Inclusion of Anti-Semitic Piece Mars Los Angeles Art Show Rabbi Shalom Rubanowitz and Shlomo (Sam) Rubanowitz January 23-27th, the Los Angeles Convention Center hosted the L.A. Art Show. It was a scene for art lovers to marvel at—unless you cared about Holocaust Remembrance, anti-Semitism, and…

Matt Gottlieb: From Israel to Hollywood Rebecca Klempner Although he doesn’t feel like he’s received his “big break” yet, you may already recognize Matt Gottlieb’s face—or his voice. An Israeli-born actor, Gottlieb, is part of surge of Israeli programming hitting English-language platforms. Last year, he…

Dear readers, Lashon hara: One might say this is the single most destructive behavior in a community. It creates a deep mistrust when community members constantly hear others spoken about with derision. It leads to division and competitiveness. It significantly hampers any activities needing collaboration.…

Are the kosher-signs just signs, or are they reasons? Rabbi Shmuel Wise Reb Elchanan Wasserman in his Koveitz Shiurim (Chullin; letter 27) engages with this question as it pertains to the gemara’s discussion of Monday’s daf this week (Chullin 62b). R’ Pappa there rules that…

Chana Levitan Addresses Singles at YICC/Shalom Bayit L.A. Event January 13th, Shalom Bayit L.A. and the Young Community at Young Israel of Century City (YICC) co-hosted an event with marriage and dating coach, Chana Levitan. Over a hundred people attended the event, entitled “How to…

Rabbi Yosef Kushner Leads Two-Day Yarchei Kallah At LINK Kollel in L.A. Rabbi Eli Stern The LINK Kollel in Los Angeles hosted a two-day yarchei kallah during the legal holiday on December 31st and January 1st on the subject of “Unfair Business Competition.” The maggid shiur was Rabbi…

Dr. Normal Blumenthal Speaks to Los Angeles Teachers about Childhood Anxiety Yehudis Litvak The Los Angeles Teacher Center of Torah Umesorah presented a workshop for teachers on the subject of Childhood Anxiety: A Rising Concern for Educators Today, hosted by Yavneh Hebrew Academy. The speaker,…

Taking Baby Steps toward Greatness Sarah Pachter Anyone who has ever watched a toddler learning to walk knows how exciting it can be to witness. Over the course of a year, infants go from uncoordinated newborns, to crawling and curious babies, and then, suddenly, those…

Humor: Bad Publicity Rebecca Klempner My latest book has just come out—meaning, it has arrived in the United States, but not yet at my home. In general, that’s a good thing. But it’s also preventing me from writing my next book. Last week was my…

Dear Readers, What is it about cynicism that’s so appealing? For some people, it’s almost like a drug beckoning us to ride its high. Is it the false sense of strength of being able to say, “I think it didn’t happen,” or “Who said it’s…

Book Review: Secret & Sacred by Yehudis Litvak (2018) Reviewed by Teva Saks In this final book in Yehudis Litvak’s young adult trilogy that began with Swords & Scrolls, the Chanukah saga is about to take a darker plunge. This historical novel guides the reader…

Tribute: Moshe Arens, One of Israel’s Greatest Defenders Moshe Arens, who served multiple times as both as Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs, was much more than a career politician. He was a man who dedicated his life to defending the State of…