Articles

| 22/11/2020

Rachel and Leah are not just our shared ancestors, they also represent two approaches to how to live a meaningful...

Parashat Toldot with Tamar Kadari

| 15/11/2020

Parashat Toldot describes Rebecca, the wife of Isaac. Despite coming from a family of deceivers, she epitomizes verse 2.2 in Song of Songs, as a "lily among brambles" because of her good deeds and inner virtues.

Saying No to God in Parashat Chayei Sarah

| 09/11/2020

Parashat Chayei Sarah recounts the death of Sarah, our matriarch, upon hearing of the binding of her only son, Isaac. It affected her so deeply that it ended her life.Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson explains how when Sarah told God, "No, I cannot endure this," she taught us that it is not only okay to say no to God but it can also be seen as an act of love and faith towards God.

Parashat Vayera: What is so Bad About the Middle Path?

| 29/10/2020

Parashat Vayera tells us the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, the famous cities that were so corrupt that God had to destroy them in their entirety, in spite of Abraham’s attempts to assuage God from performing this extreme action.

Parashat Lech Lecha with Rabbi David Golinkin

| 22/10/2020

And God said to Abraham, ‘get you up and go from your land from the place where you were born from the house of your forefathers to the land that I will show you.

Parashat Noach with Dr. Ari Ackerman

| 18/10/2020

At the end of chapter 11 of the book of Genesis, is the episode of dor haflaga, or the generation of dispersion.

Parashat Bereshit with Eitan Cooper: Truth, Good and Evil in 2020

| 11/10/2020

In its first four chapters, the Book of Genesis paints a portrait of humanity that is refreshingly applicable to our current political and social dilemmas, and then offers a way forward as well, if we choose to take it.

Rethinking Pilgrimages to Jerusalem Amid a Global Pandemic

| 06/10/2020

As we celebrate the week-long festival of Sukkot, we are forced to approach the holiday in a drastically different way, in light of the coronavirus pandemic. This includes our inability to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Western Wall.

Abraham Accords Allow for Gulf Muslims to Visit Jerusalem

Professor Doron Bar explains how the signing of the historic Abraham Accords affects the Temple Mount.

Getting in Touch with Our Inner Jonah before Yom Kippur

Nava B. Meirsdorf

| 22/09/2020

Ahead of Yom Kippur, Schechter Rabinical Seminary Student, Nava B. Meirsdorf shares the meaningful lesson hidden within the depths of the Book of Jonah and helps us to find the courage to fulfill our life's mission.

Rosh Hashanah 5781: A New Year’s greeting from Rabbi David Golinkin

| 13/09/2020

In honor of Rosh Hashanah and in the hope of a better year ahead, Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin shares two classic piyutim, liturgical poems, one from the Ashkenazic tradition and one from the Sephardic tradition, both offering the same message of hope for the coming year.

Coming and going in Parashat Nitzavim-Vayelech

Shabbat

| 06/09/2020

As we approach the last Shabbat of the Jewish year, Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson uses Parashat Nitzavim-Vayelech as an opportunity to invite us to examine and question our strengths and what we want to take with us into the new year.

A Jewish View of Non-Violent Protest and Civil Disobedience

| 31/08/2020

In general, Jewish law and tradition have a positive attitude towards protest. Genesis 18 contains Abraham’s classic protest against what he perceived as Divine injustice regarding the destruction of Sodom.

Making Peace with God in Parashat Ki Tavo

| 27/08/2020

Parashat Ki Tavo is devoted largely to the tokhehah, a warning of punishment that will befall Israel if they ignore God’s will, and many if not most of the verses in this long passage are devoted to diseases and affliction of body and soul, and most of the others are devoted to devastation wreaked upon the economy.

Learning from the uncomfortable commandments of Ki Teitzei

| 23/08/2020

Rabbi Avi Novis Deutsch confronts three very unusual commandments that appear in the beginning of Parashat Ki teitzei and uses them to not necessarily follow these commandments, but to learn from them.

Connecting contemporary politics to Parashat Shoftim with Eitan Cooper

| 16/08/2020

This week’s Torah Portion, Shoftim (Judges) describes the political institutions of Biblical Israel – Judiciary, Monarchy, Prophet and Priest. It is the closest thing to a political constitution in the Torah, so it is worth exploring in the light of contemporary politics.

Is it permissible to pray barefoot?
Responsa in a Moment, Volume 14, Number 8 August 2020

| 13/08/2020

Question from Rabbi Yoav Ende: There is a growing trend to remove one’s shoes before entering a synagogue. Is it permissible to pray barefoot?

Shmita and Social Justice in Parashat Re’eh

Dr. Peri Sinclair

| 09/08/2020

Parashat Re'eh revisits the ideas of Sh'mita (Sabbatical year) and Tzedek (justice). Dr Peri Sinclair explains the connection between these two values and offers an opportunity to engage with questions of morality, community, social justice and poverty.

Circumcising our hearts in Parashat Eikev

| 02/08/2020

Why is the central commandment of circumcision not found in this week's parasha?

The Liturgical Dilemma of the Nahem Prayer on Tisha B’Av

| 26/07/2020

Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin offers three different theological liturgical reactions to the Six-Day War and the Nahem prayer.

Learning from the Sin of the Spies in Parashat Devarim

| 20/07/2020

Calling out to God in prayer and knowing that we really do not know what lies ahead are two opposing concepts can be found in various places in the Talmud. They were as relevant in the time of the writing as they are now, but how does this relate to this week’s parasha?

Having a clear conscience before people and God in Parashat Matot-Masei

| 12/07/2020

This week’s parasha, Matot-Masei tells the story of how the tribes of Reuven and Gad were able to settle in the land outside of Israel after asking permission from Moses.

Why do some Jews refrain from eating food cooked by non-Jews?
Is there room for leniency?
Responsa in a Moment: Volume 14, Number 7

| 02/07/2020

Question from Jews living in the U.S., Canada and Argentina: Orthodox Mashgihim (Kashrut supervisors) are usually quite strict about Bishul Akum (food cooked by non-Jews). What are the sources for this prohibition and is there room for leniency?

Parashat Pinchas with Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch

Shabbat

| 02/07/2020

How can Parashat Pinchas help enhance our Shabbat experience?

Postcards from God in Parashat Balak with Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson

| 25/06/2020

Do you get postcards from God? What do postcards from God look like?

Instilling a New Culture in the Promised Land in Parashat Chukat with Eitan Cooper

| 18/06/2020

Parashat Chukat not only chronicles the deaths of Moses’s siblings, Aaron and Miriam, but Eitan Cooper, Executive Vice President of...

The Elusiveness of Honor in Parashat Korach with Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin

| 14/06/2020

This week’s parasha, Parashat Korach, deals with the theme of honor and how it affects us. Through the story of...

Combating Materialism in Behar-Bechukotai with Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin

| 14/05/2020

Among the many curses found in this week’s parshiyot Behar-Bechukotai, Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin focuses on “You shall eat and not be satisfied” and...

If There is No Minyan, Are There Alternatives to the Mourner’s Kaddish? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 14, Number 6

| 13/05/2020

Question: According to your Responsa in a Moment column in April, one may only recite the mourner’s kaddish (hereafter: MK) in a physical...

Accessing the Divine Presence in Parashat Bamidbar with Eitan Cooper

| 07/05/2020

This week’s parasha begins the book of Bamidbar, the fourth book of the Torah, giving a detailed description of the...

Sources of Strength in Parashat Beha’alotcha with Dr. David Frankel

| 07/05/2020

This week’s parashat Beha’alotcha holds a relevant and meaningful passage, uttered by Moses: Rise, O Lord, and may your enemies flee...

Celebrating Miracles Every Day in Parashat Emor with Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch

| 05/05/2020

Parashat Emor details the three major holidays in the Jewish Calendar. Halfway between Pesach and Shavuot, Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch, Dean of...

Making a Seder in the Shadow of Corona

| 13/04/2020

Why is this night different than all other nights? In two weeks this question will be asked in many homes,...

How is this Night Different?

This year we will indeed be different, but the seder will be no less meaningful. Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies...

Heavenly Discipline: Dr. Shula Laderman on Parashat Shemini

| 12/04/2020

Dr. Shula Laderman, lecturer in Judaism and the Arts at The Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, offers an interpretation of Avner Moriah’s...

This Night Will be Different: Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin on Seder Ritual

| 12/04/2020

How is this night different from all other nights? This year, Passover will indeed be different. Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin, President...

Ten Brief Responsa/Halakhic Reactions to the Corona Crisis Responsa in a Moment: Volume 14, Number 5

| 05/04/2020

Since March 4, 2020, I have been asked many halakhic questions about the current crisis by rabbis and laypeople living...

Aharei Mot and Kedoshim: Asking The Hard Questions With Rabbi Irina Gritsevskaya

| 05/04/2020

There are two parashiyot this week, Aharei Mot and Kedoshim, both coming at a time in our collective self-isolation where we can draw...

Rejoicing on Purim

The Jewish people throughout history have always opposed drunkenness, which is why the quotation in the Talmud, “One must drink...

Haman on a Tree: Dr. Tamar Kadari shares a Purim Midrash

“So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordechai. Then the wrath of the king abated.”...

Leaving Our Egypt: Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson on Parashat Hachodesh

In a time of much global uncertainty words of Torah can bring comfort and open new ways of thinking. Take...

Drawing Close: Rabbi Ilana Foss on Parashat Vayikra

Rabbi Ilana Foss

Parashat Vayikra, the beginning of the Book of Leviticus, arrives at a timely moment as the world continues to battle...

Heeding the Prophet’s Call

During these trying times, Passover and its accompanying rituals still beckon even if this year will be very different in...

Visualizing Parashat Terumah with Dr. Shula Laderman

| 24/02/2020

In Parashat Terumah, God instructs Moses how to fashion a dwelling place, a sanctuary for God’s presence. Dr. Shula Laderman,...

Negiah: Is it Forbidden for a Jewish Man to Touch a Woman or Shake her Hand? Responsa in a Moment Volume 14, Number 3

| 23/02/2020

In memory of my mother Devorah Golinkin z”l, who helped thousands of people reconnect to Judaism; on her 8th Yahrzeit ...

Offering Counsel: Rabbi Irina Gritsevskaya on Parashat Yitro

| 23/02/2020

n the parasha Yitro advises Moses to appoint a team of magistrates and judges to advise him in the task...

Which Way to Go? Eitan Cooper on Beshalach

| 22/02/2020

In Parashat Beshalach the route the Israelites will take through the desert is described. Neither the journey nor the identity...

Hear Their Voices: Neve Schechter Awards Inaugural Contemporary Israeli Art Prize

| 25/01/2020

Women and women’s voices were front and center at a moving, musical evening at Neve Schechter on January 2, 2020. Neve...

What Does the Torah Say About Asking Questions? Rabbi Dr. Paul Shrell-Fox on Parashat Bo

| 25/01/2020

In Parashat Bo the Israelites are commanded to observe the anniversary of the Exodus each year and tell the story...

Moses’ Magical Staff: Dr. Tamar Kadari on Parashat Va’era

| 24/01/2020

In Parashat Va’era, Pharaoh refuses to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt, even after Aaron exhibits miraculous powers, transforming his staff into a serpent. Moses must...

Prof. Renée Levine Melammed on Miriam The Sister of Moses

| 23/01/2020

In Parashat Shemot, a child, Moses, is born to Yocheved and placed in a basket on the river, while the...

Prof. Moshe Benovitz on Jacob’s Blessing and Your Children

| 22/01/2020

In Parashat Vayechi, Jacob blesses his grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe, on his deathbed and asks them to bury him in...

The Better Angels of Our Nature

| 25/12/2019

In Parashat Vayetze, a ladder with angels ascending and descending from it appears in Jacob’s dream. The significance of the...

Schechter Ordains 100th Rabbi!

| 25/12/2019

In a festive ceremony filled with music, Torah and song, the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary ordained its rabbi, marking 30 years of ordaining...

New TALI partnership with Integrated Schools

The start of the 2019-2020 school year brought with it an exciting new collaboration for the TALI Education Fund. TALI is...

Shining Brightly in Ukraine

he Kiev Masorti community had a powerful multi-faith Chanukah candle lighting on December 23rd. Rabbi Reuven Stamov, Schechter alum and resident...

Telling Your Story: Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson on Parashat Vayigash

| 25/12/2019

n Parashat Vayigash Judah approaches Joseph to plead for the release of Benjamin, offering himself as a slave to the...

Plotting Leadership: Eitan Cooper on Parashat Miketz

| 24/12/2019

In Parashat Miketz, Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams and is appointed to implement Egypt’s anti-famine plan, which brings him into contact...

Why do we Light Hanukkah Candles in the Synagogue? Responsa in a Moment Volume 14, Number 2

| 23/12/2019

n memory of my grandfather Rabbi Mordechai Ya’akov Golinkin z”l on his 45th Yahrzeit Question: According to the Talmud, Hanukkah...

Wily Women: Dr. Gila Vachman on Parashat Vayeishev

Dr. Gila Vachman

| 23/12/2019

In Parashat Vayeishev, Tamar tricks Judah into helping her conceive an heir. Later on, Joseph, after defying his Egyptian master Potiphar’s wife, is...

Reexamining Esau: Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch on Parashat Vayishlachch

| 12/12/2019

In Parashat Vayishlach, Jacob prepares for a potential battle and sends Esau a large gift of hundreds of heads of livestock to appease him. Rabbi Avi...

Parashat Vayera. Women and our Biblical Heritage

| 25/11/2019

Parashat Vayera details Hagar and Ishmael being cast out at Sarah’s behest. Rabbi Dr. Paul Shrell-Fox, Lecturer in Family and...

Prof. Renée Levine Melammed, Parashat Chayei Sarah and an Unknown Matriarch

| 12/11/2019

Sarah, Abraham’s wife and the matriarch of the Jewish people, is a strong and independent character. Prof. Renée Levine Melammed, professor...

Finding Your Truth in Parashat Toldot

| 12/11/2019

Rebecca and Isaac pray for a child. Rebecca soon feels violent movement within her womb and cries to God. Rabbi...

When should we Study Pirkei Avot and when should we Recite Barekhi Nafshi and Shirei Hama’alot on Shabbat Afternoon? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 14, Number 1

| 05/11/2019

Orah Hayyim 292:2 in the Rema Question from Dr. Josh Greenfield, New York: In your article last May (Responsa in a Moment,...

Taking a Stand: Rabbi Dr. David Frankel on Parashat Lech Lecha

| 25/10/2019

Rabbi Dr. David Frankel, Senior Lecturer in Bible at The Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, discusses our forefather Abraham’s ability to...

This is Your Wake-Up Call Dr. David Frankel on Yom Kippur

| 25/10/2019

“The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai” (Jonah 1:1). On Yom Kippur afternoon Jews around the...

In the Image of God Dr. Tamar Kadari on Genesis

| 12/10/2019

“And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created...

Down Came the Rain: Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin on Noah and Gilgamesh

Interfaith

| 01/10/2019

In this week’s Parasha, Noah is chosen by God to perpetuate the human race after his wicked contemporaries perish in...

A Tisket, a Tasket, a Bikkurim-Filled Basket: Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin on Ki Tavo

Parashat Ki Tavo discusses bikkurim, first fruits: “You shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you...

On Ben Gurion, the Bible and an Unusual Press Conference

With Israeli election results still in motion, let’s take a look at David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, and...

Getting Carded (In a Good Way)

Turning sixteen in Israel isn’t just a number. At sixteen, Israeli teens get their national identity cards. Learn how TALI is helping...

Repentance, Prayer and Tzedakah: A New Year Greeting from Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin

“….But Repentance, Prayer and Tzedakah Avert the Severe Decree.” Rabbi Professor David Golinkin, President of The Schechter Institutes, examines Unetane...

Aleph or Bet: Dr. Shula Laderman with a Festive Torah Tale

“Aleph! Aleph! Although I shall create the world through the letter bet you will be the first of all the...

Everyday Obligations: Dr. Shula Laderman on Parashat Ki Teitzei

| 12/09/2019

Parashat Ki Teitzei contains many positive and negative commandments governing the Israelites’ daily lives. Dr. Shula Laderman, Lecturer in Judaism...

Moses and Herzl Responsa in a Moment: Volume 13, Number 5

| 25/08/2019

In memory of Theodor Herzl on the 70th anniversary of his reburial in Israel, August 17, 2019. Theodor Herzl died...

Parashat Vaetchanan: The Rationale Behind The Commandments

| 16/08/2019

In this week’s Parasha, Parashat Vaetchanan, Moses repeats the importance of keeping God’s commandments when the people enter the Land of Israel....

Seeing and Being Seen: Parshat Re’eh

| 16/08/2019

This week’s Torah portion begins with an admonition to see: “Re’eh,” and concludes with the commandment “Yira’eh” (you are to...

Must We Listen to Our Leaders? Dr. David Frankel on Parashat Shoftim

| 16/08/2019

In Parashat Shoftim, Moses instructs the Israelites to appoint judges, beginning a system of governance that will also serve the...

Traveling Tombstones: Professor Doron Bar on Herzl’s Reburial in Israel

| 01/08/2019

On August 17, 1949, Theodor Herzl, founding father of Zionism, was reinterred in Israel. His gravesite was established on the highest...

If Donkeys Could Talk: Dr. Shula Laderman on Parashat Balak

| 16/07/2019

The fascinating story of Balak and Balaam’s failed attempts to curse the Jewish people is found in this week’s parasha....

Parashat Pinchas: Understanding What Leadership Really Means

| 16/07/2019

Are you ready for the elections? In Parshat Pinchas, we witness the ordination of Joshua bin Nun as the successor...

Finding Our Way Back in the Month of Av

| 16/07/2019

The Jewish month of Av brings with it a season of mourning for the destruction of the Temple. The rabbis...

“Bethlehem” Exhibit Now at Neve Schechter

The first chapter of the Book of Ruth ends with the story of Naomi’s return from Moab to Bethlehem with her Moabite...

Stick or Carrot? The Giving of the Torah

| 19/06/2019

When it comes to educating students, teachers often ask which is more persuasive: the carrot or the stick? Was the...

Where Are the Women in Jewish Thought?

| 19/06/2019

The field of Jewish Thought for many years has been considered the sphere of male thinkers and philosophers. This week Dr....

Was Anything so Wrong in Korach’s Message? Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch Explores the Parasha

| 16/06/2019

“For all the community are holy, and the Lord is in their midst. Why then do you, Aaron and Moses,...

Exclusivity and Openness on Shavuot

Rabbi Ilana Foss

| 25/05/2019

Exclusivity is often seen as a selling point. Whenever I’m at Ben Gurion airport I look longingly at the executive...

Paul Shrell-Fox on Brotherly Kinship

Mazal Tov to Rabbi Dr. Paul Shrell-Fox on his Bar Mitzvah anniversary! In the seventh reading of Parashat Behar, the...

Everyone has Value: Reb Mimi Feigelson on Parashat Bechukotai

Parashat Bechukotai deals with what sort of pledges we make to God in the Temple: Who makes offerings? How much...

Watershed Moments: Dr. Gila Vachman on Parashat Chukat

Dr. Gila Vachman

What was the connection between the death of Miriam and the absence of water?Our sages say that the three “gifts”...

Forging our Future: Dr. David Frankel on Parashat Bamidbar

Is Parashat Bamidbar a period of rebellion and complaints or is it, as stated in Jeremiah, about God and Israel’s...

Thoughts on Yom Haatzmaut

| 14/05/2019

As Israel celebrates its 71st birthday, some of Schechter’s faculty share what “Israeliness” means to them. May Israel go from...

All I Really Need to Know about Judaism, I Learned in Pirkei Avot Responsa in a Moment: Volume 13 Number 4

| 05/05/2019

In memory of my parents Rabbi Noah and Devorah Golinkin z”l who served the Jewish people for the sake of...

Seder or Symposium: Rabbi Prof Golinkin On Seder Origins

| 25/04/2019

What is the origin of the Seder and the Haggadah? Rabbi Professor David Golinkin, President of The Schechter Institutes, discusses the connection between the...

Revisit the story of Exodus

| 25/04/2019

Who is God in the Story of the Exodus? Now that we have celebrated the first days of Passover, let’s revisit...

Parashat Metzora: Is Sin the Cause of Suffering?

| 19/04/2019

Is sin the cause of suffering? Dr. David Frankel, Senior Lecturer in Bible at The Schechter Institutes, discusses how in the ancient era...

The Challenge of “V’ahavta; And You Shall Love.”

| 19/04/2019

Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch, Dean of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, delves into the relationship between two verses in Parshat Kedoshim: “You shall love your neighbor like...

The Disqualified Kohen

Dr. Gila Vachman

| 19/04/2019

Parashat Emor is dedicated to the rules regarding the personal status and physical condition of Kohanim, the priests who worked in...

Is There an Obligation to Kiss the Tzitzit? Responsa in a Moment: Vol. 13, No. 3

| 05/04/2019

In memory of my aunt Miriam Golinkin z”l, a beloved educator and Zionist, who passed away 12 Adar, 5751 Question from Rabbi Steve...

Back to Reality with Parashat Vayikra

This week we begin the book of Vayikra, Leviticus, that deals with the sacrifices that individuals may bring to the Temple....

Are Jews Still Commanded to Blot Out the Memory of Amalek?

Purim and Shabbat Zachor, when we read about the attack of the Amalekites, are fast approaching. Rabbi Professor David Golinkin, President of The Schechter Institutes, poses...

Parshat Shemini – Aaron’s Silence

Parashat Shemini: “Vayidom Aharon.” Aaron was silent, says the text. Was it shocked silence? Perhaps. Or, perhaps, it was silence...

Gender Identity and Parashat Tazria

This week’s Torah portion, Tazria, starts with the verse “If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a male...

Influential Jewish Women in the Middle Ages

| 14/03/2019

In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8th, Professor. Renée Levine Melammed shares with us the powerful story of influential...

Jewish Holidays Among the Crypto-Jews

| 13/03/2019

We are blessed to be living in a time where an overwhelming number of Jews are able to celebrate Jewish...

Construction Ahead: Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch on Priestly Attire

The Torah now begins to detail the designs of the Mishkan, a sanctuary for God’s presence, and the priestly (Cohen’s)...

Seize The Moment in Parashat Tetzaveh

Bar-Bat Mitzvah

Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson, Mashpiah Ruchanit (Spiritual Mentor) and senior lecturer of Rabbinics and Chassidic Thought at the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, relates to the...

Tabernacle Giving: Is All Gold Good?

We at Schechter are so excited about the construction of the Tabernacle that we have two videos for Parshat Vayakhel one...

Parashat Vayakhel – Another Donation?

Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson, Mashpiah Ruchanit (Spiritual Mentor) and senior lecturer of Rabbinics and Chassidic Thought at the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, imagines...

Parashat Pekudei on the Purpose of Materialism

Gold, silver and copper: the opening passage of Parashat Pekudei accounts for the vast material resources required for building of...

How May One Abbreviate the Loud Repetition of the Amidah? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 13, Number 2 (1)

| 05/02/2019

Orah Hayyim 124:1 A question from students at the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary: There are several different customs regarding the Hoiche Kedusha (2) or the...

Parashat Bo. Justice or Mercy?

In his book “A Theory of Justice” published in the 1970s, Prof. John Rawls of Harvard University set out an...

Can we look positively on Amalek? Parashat Beshalach

וַיִּבֶן מֹשֶׁה מִזְבֵּחַ וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ ה’ נִסִּי: וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי יָד עַל כֵּס יָ-הּ מִלְחָמָה לַה’ בַּעֲמָלֵק מִדֹּר דֹּר “Then Moses...

Parashat Yitro: gratitude, compassion and a cross-sensual experience at Sinai

Rabbi Dr. Paul Shrell-Fox, Lecturer in Family and Community Studies at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, discusses two concepts as related in this...

Faith vs. Action in the Jewish Tradition Parashat Mishpatim

This week’s portion, Mishpatim, lists a hodgepodge of topics: dealing with the Hebrew slave, damages, an eye for an eye,...

Life Cycle, Tu Bishvat, the environment …and the contested phosphate quarry near Arad

| 15/01/2019

The below article was first published in Jpost Magazine Tu Bishvat is mentioned in the Mishna as Rosh Hashanah L’Ilan, the...

My Israeli Jewish Identity, Rediscovered

Moriah Karsagi-Aharon

| 14/01/2019

Why I Had to Travel all the Way to New York in Order to Understand More About My Israeli Jewish...

A Hidden Lesson of the Hanukkah Story

What is the connection between Joseph’s story we read about in this week’s Torah portion of Miketz, and the story...

Where is God in the story of Joseph?

Feel alienated at services and wondering where God is in all of this? Parashat Vayigash might have the answer for you....

Parashat Shemot Why was Moses Chosen to Lead the People of Israel?

Rabbi Professor David Golinkin, President of The Schechter Institutes, talks about leadership qualities. Moses was not chosen to lead the Jewish people because...

Parashat Va’era

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-מֹשֶׁה ‘ אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה In Parashat Va’era, God says to Moshe: “I will be what I will be.”...

Is it permissible to study Biblical Criticism?

| 05/12/2018

Volume 13, Number 1 In memory of my grandfather the Hebrew author and educator Avraham Natan Perlberg z”l on his...

Parshat Toldot: Earning the Name By Eitan Cooper

| 19/11/2018

In Parshat Toldot, Jacob was the underdog, the eternal number two, says Eitan Cooper, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The...

Parshat Vayetze: Jacob the Refugee Perspective of a Schechter Rabbinical Seminary Student

| 19/11/2018

Parashat Vayeitze tells the story of Jacob as a refugee. The world is awash with refugees. What does the Torah have...

What can we learn from Jacob and Esau? Rabbi Dr. Paul Shrell-Fox on Parashat Vayishlach

| 19/11/2018

“The next time Jacob and Esau meet is at the burial of their father, Isaac, in Hebron (Genesis 35:27-29).” Rabbi Dr. Paul Shrell-Fox, Lecturer in Family and...

When Disaster Strikes By R. Miriam Berkowitz

| 11/11/2018

How do we respond to tragedy? One Saturday night in November 1995, I was making Havdala with JTS rabbinical students...

Judaism and Christianity: Bridging the Gap Dr. Ari Ackerman

As we are restarting the annual Torah reading cycle, Dr. Ari Ackerman, outgoing Dean, and Senior Lecturer in Jewish Thought at...

What Does “Be Fruitful and Multiply” Mean? By Eitan Cooper

A couple of years ago Prof. Alon Tal, a leading Israeli environmentalist, wrote a controversial book called “The Land is Full”...

Free will in Parashat Lech Lecha Reb Mimi Feigelson

Lech Lecha! G‑d commands Abraham to set out on a journey: “Go from your land, from your birthplace and from...

Vayera -The Ethical Message of Halacha Rabbi David Golinkin

Should Halachic rulings take human suffering into account? Rabbi Professor David Golinkin explores the innate ethical message of Halacha, and asks:...

A Taste of Symbolic Foods on Rosh Hashanah Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin

| 19/09/2018

A Rosh Hashanah tradition of eating symbolic foods (simanim) is intended to help us ensure a good new year. The list of simanim varies between the Ashkenazic and...

Yom Kippur as a Moment of Unity Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson

| 19/09/2018

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is considered the most important holiday in the Jewish faith. This day marks the...

70 Voices Heard in the Heart of Tel Aviv

| 14/09/2018

Tel Aviv, Israel’s self-proclaimed most secular city, is going through spiritual reawakening. Jewish renewal reached Israel’s bustling commercial capital, and...

Dvar Torah on Sukkot Rabbi Miriam Berkowitz

Rabbi Miriam Berkowitz

| 14/09/2018

Every year we wonder why there are so many holidays clustered together in the month of Tishrei rather than spread...

Schechter Rabbinical Seminary Opens a New Torah Lishma Program in Tel Aviv

| 12/09/2018

The program at Neve Schechter will be based on the highly successful program model in Jerusalem, with content adapted to serve the...

Simchat Torah and #Me Too By Eitan Cooper

| 12/09/2018

One of the favorite songs sung on Simchat Torah is the Piyyut “Mi Pi El” in which it is declared:...

Jewish Life Flourishing in Ukraine Camp Ramah Yachad

Camp Ramah Yachad in Ukraine makes history with female counselors and campers reading Torah for the very first time. Israeli...

TALI Partnership with the Ministry of Education in Israel

Since its founding in 1976, TALI Education has been working with schools, parents, and students across Israel. Today, 12% of secular...

How did Mount Herzl Get its Name? Professor Doron Bar on Herzl’s Final Resting Place

Where is Mount Herzl and how else was Herzl honored? In August 1949, Theodore Herzl’s remains were moved from Vienna...

Selihot Already? Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin on Penitential Prayers

Why do some communities start reciting Selihot, the penitential prayers leading up to the High Holidays, at the beginning of the Jewish...

What happens on the streets of Jerusalem during Selichot? Dr. Einat Ramon

Listen to Dr. Einat Ramon, Senior Lecturer in Jewish Thought and founder of the Marpeh pastoral care program, as she takes us on...

Learn about the Jewish Prayer Modes with Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch

Music and prayer have been combined since the most ancient times. One cannot find musical symbolizations in the Siddur, the...

Why do Jews from Islamic lands object to sitting with crossed legs in a synagogue? Volume 12, Number 6, August 2018

| 05/08/2018

(Orah Hayyim 95:2 in Ateret Zekeinim) In honor of my brother Cantor Abe Golinkin on his birthday Question from a number of rabbinical students: Why...

Zealous or Zealot? Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin on Parshat Pinchas

Can someone be zealous without being a zealot? Rabbi Professor David Golinkin, President of The Schechter Institutes, discusses the incident in the transition from...

Between Destruction and Redemption: Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch on Tisha B’Av

This Friday begins the Jewish month of Av and the nine days leading up to Tisha BAv, the Ninth of...

Tisha B’Av and the Mourning and Survival Patterns of Jews

As a modern-day researcher of Jewish thought, I especially love the personal descriptions that Jewish philosophers insert parenthetically into their...

The Feminist Message of Parshat Va’etchanan The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments appear in two different sections of the Torah, first, in the Book of Exodus in Parashat Yitro,...

Does Love Keep Us From Being Alone? Rabbi Reb Dr. Mimi Feigelson on Parshat Eikev

How do we overcome aloneness in the world? In Parshat Eikev the word love is used four times as we...

Origin Stories: Dr. Ari Ackerman on How he Became a Scholar of Jewish Thought

What inspires someone to choose an academic’s life devoted to Jewish Philosophy? Dr. Ari Ackerman, Dean of the Schechter Institute of Jewish...

Superwoman: Professor Renee Levine Melammed on a 17th-Century Woman’s Kabbalistic Powers

Can sexuality be taken out of the yeshiva? A few months ago we learned how Asenath Barazani, a woman and...

How Do We Establish Memory? Professor Doron Bar on the Creation of Yad Vashem

Memory or heroism? Victims or heroes? What should a museum commemorate? Professor Doron Bar, President of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies,...

Right from Wrong? Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch on the Responsibilities of Leadership

Was Moses responsible for the decisions made by the Israelites? Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch, Dean of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, discusses the responsibilities...

Is a Double Ring Ceremony Permissible? Responsa in a Moment Volume 12, Number 5

Marriage

| 05/06/2018

(Even Ha’ezer 27:8) Question from a graduate of the Schechter Institute: Is it permissible for the bride to give a ring to...

What would Herzl and Jabotinsky think about how we look after 70 Years? Eitan Cooper on Parshat Behar

I’m in South Tel Aviv, a few feet away from our Neve Schechter Center for Jewish Culture. The view behind...

Jerusalem of Skyscrapers? Professor Doron Bar on the City’s Changing Population

Sunday, the 28th of Iyyar, marks the 51st anniversary of Jerusalem’s unification. Professor Doron Bar, President of the Schechter Institute of Jewish...

Just How Jewish Should Israel Be? Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch on Separation of State and Religion

How Jewish should the Jewish State be? As Israel continues celebrating its 70th birthday Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch, Dean of the Schechter Rabbinical...

What Made Moses a Great Leader? Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin on Parshat Beha’alotcha

What makes a great leader? Rabbi Professor David Golinkin, President of The Schechter Institutes, discusses Parshat Beha’alotcha and the six qualities that made Moses successful...

What’s Wrong Between Israeli and American Jews?

For some years now conventional wisdom has it that Israel’s policies toward liberal streams and Palestinians are to blame for...

The State of Israel and the Jews of North America: From Problems to Solutions Responsa in a Moment: Volume 12, Number 4

| 05/05/2018

On April 30, 2018, The Schechter Institutes and the Jewish Theological Seminary co-sponsored a very successful academic conference at The...

How Do We Respond to Tragedy? Dr. David Frankel on Parshat Shemini

| 23/04/2018

When tragedy strikes what do we say to God? In Parshat Shemini Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, die suddenly. Dr. David...

How Do We Make Sense of the Insensible? Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch on Parshat Tazria-Metzora

| 23/04/2018

Parshat Tazria-Metzora offers a confusing depiction of skin afflictions and potential treatments that, for many people, have little connection to...

How Do We Mark a Miracle? Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin on Israel’s 70th Birthday

| 21/04/2018

Are we aware of the miracles surrounding us? On Israel’s 70th Birthday, Rabbi Professor David Golinkin, President of The Schechter Institutes, shares excerpts of a letter...

How Do You Know When You Are Home? Rabbi Reb Dr. Mimi Feigelson on Hasidism

| 21/04/2018

What is the meaning of finding your home? Sometimes it is knowing your story of origin and sometimes it is...

Women in the House: Professor Renee Levine Melammed on a 17th-Century Woman Rosh Yeshiva

| 21/04/2018

What happens when the head of a Kurdish yeshiva has no sons? He prepares his daughter to be the next...

Israel and the Jewish People in the 21st Century

Neve Schechter’s Gallery in Tel Aviv is currently exhibiting “Sphere”. Several beautiful spherical paintings around the theme of the Omer...

Where do you Encounter God? Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch on Parshat Vayakhel-Pekudei

In Parshat Vayakhel Pekudei the Israelites receive further instructions on constructing the Tabernacle. The instructions specify creating elaborate wall panels....

What Offerings are you Bringing to God? Rabbi Reb Dr. Mimi Feigelson on Parshat Yayikra

As we begin the Book of Leviticus the language of sacrifices becomes more prominent in our Torah reading. Rabbi Dr....

Are you Ready to Leave Egypt? Rabbi Professor David Golinkin Takes the Passover Stage

Lights Camera Action! Drama doesn’t just take place in the movies, on Passover we remember that we too were brought out...

What Time Is It? Professor Dr. Ari Ackerman on Heschel’s Approach to Ritual and Sacrifice

Whether it is the yearly ritual and sacrifice of Passover celebrations or the familiarity of Shabbat rituals each week, Jewish...

What Does Jewish Law Say About the Proposed Phosphate Quarry Near Arad?

| 14/03/2018

In the midst of all the headlines about corruption, security issues and President Trump, there is an important topic which...

Rav or Rabbah: Choosing Titles in the Rabbinate

Midrash Sifre teaches that the Israelites left Egypt with Miriam at their lead: “when you left Egypt–” during the time...

Humility and Truth vs. Orthodoxy’s Quest for Special Status

| 14/03/2018

An article reporting in detail on the recent visit to Israel of a delegation of Orthodox leaders from the US...

Is There More Than One Way to be a Zionist? Professor Yossi Turner and a Zionist Dilemma

| 14/03/2018

What is the Zionist dilemma of living in Israel learn from a Zionists living in the Jewish Diaspora? Dr. Yossi...

How Can One Sell Hametz Which is in a Different Time Zone? Responsa in a Moment: Vol. 12, No. 3, March 2018

| 06/03/2018

Question from a rabbi in Jerusalem on selling hametz: I am taking care of “Reuven’s” apartment in Jerusalem, but “Reuven” lives...

The Destructive Effect of the Partition at the Western Wall on Other Jewish Holy Sites in Israel

We once again witnessed the ridiculousness of the separation between men and women at the Western Wall when female journalists...

How Should a Person Repent for Causing an Accidental Death? Volume 12, Number 2 February 2018

| 06/02/2018

(Orah Hayyim 603 in Magen Avraham) Question: If a Jew causes the accidental death of another person, what can he or she do...

Are All Women Leaders Feminists? Professor Bat-Sheva Margalit Stern on Women’s Leadership

Are women leaders by definition into feminism? February marks the 49th anniversary of Golda Meir being elected prime minster (she...

God is in the Details Dr. Paul Mandel on Parshat Terumah

Dr. Paul Mandel

This week in Parshat Terumah Moses and the Israelites are given detailed instructions on how to construct the Tabernacle in...

He Said, She Said Professor Renee Levine Melammed on a Maimonidean Dispute

Divorce

He said she said did not originate in the modern era, in fact, in 12th century Cairo, Maimonides hears both...

Hidden or Revealed Dr. Ari Ackerman on Purim Miracles

Who is the true hero of the Purim story? Dr. Ari Ackerman, Dean of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies and Senior Lecturer...

Battle of the Gods? Rabbi Dr. Paul Shrell-Fox on Parshat Vaera

Rabbi Dr. Paul Shrell-Fox, Lecturer in Family and Community Studies, offers a play-by-play on the negotiations between Moses and Aaron and...

Was Beatriz Convicted? Professor Renée Levine Melammed and the Case of the Mysterious Midwife

This month marks the 482nd anniversary of the start of the trials of one of the women of the Spanish Inquisition,...

What’s Old is Holy Again? Professor Doron Bar on Israel’s Creative Holy Places

Preparations are underway for Tu Bishvat, the New Year of the Trees, which falls on January 30th and 31st this...

God of History or God of Wisdom? Dr. Ari Ackerman on Parshat Yitro

This week in Parshat Yitro The Ten Commandments are revealed. With the first commandment, “I am the Lord your God...

Is it Permissible for Women to Serve as Shohatot (Ritual Slaughterers)? Responsa in a Moment Vol. 12, No. 1, December 2017

| 06/12/2017

Question: Is it permissible for women to serve as Shohatot (ritual slaughterers)? Responsum: We shall present the opinions of those who permit, those who...

When is a Coat More Than Just a Coat? Dr. Tamar Kadari on Parshat Vayeishev

Jacob is blessed with many children but is it too much of a good thing? Using an example of the...

What’s Missing from Hanukkah? Prof. Rabbi David Golinkin Shares Holiday History

On other holidays we read a megillah (scroll), but on Hanukkah why don’t we read a Hanukkah scroll? Rabbi Professor David...

Light in the Darkness? Hanukkah and its Possible Pagan Origins

“Banu Hoshech l’Garesh” – We have come to banish the darkness. This is the beginning of the popular Israeli Hanukah song....

Can We Walk the Walk (as Children of Israel)? Rabbi Reb Dr. Mimi Feigelson on Parshat Vayechi

As we conclude reading the Book of Genesis Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson, Mashpiah Ruhanit (Spiritual Mentor) and senior lecturer of...

What God Don’t You Believe In? Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch on Parshat Shemot

Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch, Dean of Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, invites us to consider the varied roles God plays in our lives. In Parshat...

Choosing Motherhood Dr. Bat-Sheva Margalit Stern on Parshat Chayei Sarah

Do women have the right to choose? Inspired by Parshat Chayei Sara, Dr. Bat-Sheva Margalit Stern, associate professor of Jewish...

Whose (Genetic) Line is it Anyway? Rabbi Dr. Paul Shrell-Fox on Toldot

Does Esau get a bad rap? Through his unique lens of evolutionary psychology, Rabbi Dr. Paul Shrell-Fox, Lecture in Family...

Dreaming in Color Dr. Shula Laderman on Parshat Vayetze

Art and Literature

Is Jacob caught in a dream or in reality in Parshat Vayetze? Dr. Shula Laderman, lecturer in Judaism and the Arts,...

Who’s Buried in Rachel’s Tomb? Professor Doron Bar on Parshat Vayishlach

Israel’s holy sites have been a destination for pilgrims of many faiths. This week, when we read Parshat Vayishlach, Professor Doron...

Back Again to the Jewish-Israeli Conflict

The Secular Forum is an Israeli organization dedicated to keeping religion out of Israeli secular public schools, and is actively...

The Most Popular Holiday in the Soviet Union? Rabbi Dr. David Frankel on Simchat Torah

Why was Simchat Torah the most publicly celebrated Jewish holiday in the Soviet Union? What was it that Soviet Jewry...

Does God Make Mistakes? Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch on Parshat Noach

Does God make mistakes? In Parshat Noah, the flood confronts us with a disturbing story of God destroying the world....

Who Will Put Out the Fire? Dr. Paul Mandel on Parshat Lech Lecha

Dr. Paul Mandel

What made Abraham stand out? In Parshat Lech Lecha God appoints Abraham to be the leader of nations. While on...

Does Love Always Have a Happy Ending? Eitan Cooper on Abraham and Isaac in Parshat Vayera

I’m standing in Jerusalem at the dramatic overlook of the Old City and the Temple Mount – Har Habayit in...

Happy New Year from The Schechter Institutes!

| 05/09/2017

We are pleased to present our pilot video series Shavua Tov @ Schechter. Each week one of Schechter’s talented faculty and...

Yom Kippur: Awareness of Our Human Vulnerability

| 05/09/2017

As Yom Kippur descends upon the Jewish nation in Israel and in the Diaspora, synagogues are filled with people who...

The Month of Av: Mourning, Pride, Love

| 14/08/2017

This Thursday I will be marching in the gay pride parade in Jerusalem, after marking Tisha B’av (the Ninth of...

Guarding Souls: Saving Life in the Age of Science and Technology

When God instructs Adam in Eden from which tree he is forbidden to eat, the instruction is fairly clear. Genesis...

A Research Journey: From the Père Lachaise Cemetery to the Waddesdon Manor to Ramat Hanadiv

In my book Ideology and Landscape, which is about reinterring Zionist leaders in the homeland, I devoted a chapter to the...

Ahavat Hinam (Groundless Love) as an Antidote for Sinat Hinam (Groundless Hatred) Responsa in a Moment Volume 11, Number 6

| 06/07/2017

A Eulogy for Rabbi Baruch G. Goldstein זצ”ל We have just begun “the three weeks”, a period of national mourning and...

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Moses and the Sin at Merivah Parshat Chukat 5777/2017

| 12/06/2017

This week’s Torah portion tells the famous story of Moses’ sin at the “waters of Merivah,” for which he was...

Baseless Hatred: The Kotel and Conversion Bill Controversies

| 11/06/2017

This article was reprinted in the Times of Israel on June 20th, 2017. My first reaction to the most recent episode...

Why do certain synagogues sing Psalm 92 after the Torah reading of the Shabbat Minhah service? Responsa in a Moment Volume 11, Number 5

| 06/06/2017

In memory of Gershon Kekst z”l, who passed away 19 Adar 5777. Leader, philanthropist, mentsch. May his memory be for...

The Kotel Controversy: Like Hillel and Shammai, All Voices Must be Heard

| 15/05/2017

The events of the past week have left me speechless. I am reminded of the ascension of Hananya ben Hizkiahu...

From a Sacred City to a Capital City (and back again?)

I was born two years prior to the Six-Day War when Jerusalem was still a divided city, with barbed wire...

More Precious than Rubies is the King’s Daughter – Feminine Imageries of the Torah

The great classical liturgist, R. El’azar Birabbi Killir (Land of Israel, 7th c.), composed a number of piyyutim (Hebrew liturgical poems) in honor...

Step by Step: Independence Day Parades in Jerusalem Before and After the Six Day War

| 15/04/2017

Beginning in 1948, the State of Israel marked Independence Day on the Fifth of Iyar with military processions. Each year,...

Passover for the Soul Bringing spirituality to our seder celebration

| 14/04/2017

Israelis celebrate Passover in one of two ways: either by closely sticking to laws of Pesach related to hametz and...

Righteous Gentiles and the Shoah: Altruism of the Highest Order

| 13/04/2017

Would you be willing to sign an organ donor card? Donate a kidney? A lobe of your healthy liver? Have...

The Drama of the Seder What a Pesah Custom Can Teach Us about Jewish Education Today

| 15/03/2017

Modern Jewish educators frequently use drama as an educational tool in order to bring a Biblical or Talmudic story to...

God and Mother: Motherhood in Zionist Society in Eretz Yisrael

| 14/03/2017

“Just as the big world is in God’s Hands to be built or destroyed…so is the small world of the...

Secular Israelis have Grown Up

Distress signals sent out by secularists in recent months have been picked up loud and clear by the Secular Forum,...

Why did IKEA eliminate all women from their Israeli catalogue aimed at ultra-Orthodox Jews? Volume 11, Number 4

| 06/03/2017

In memory of Freda Leavey z”l (1921-2016), a gifted actress and Aunt Sue Cooper z”l (1926-2017), a gifted singer. Yehi...

Why is it customary to place a stone on a grave? (Yoreh Deah 376:4) Volume 11, Number 3

| 06/01/2017

In memory of Prof. Andre Hajdu z”l and Rabbi Dr. Aaron Singer z”l, disciples of Aaron (Avot 1:12), who taught...

Abraham Joshua Heschel and Spiritual Education

| 12/11/2016

We are in the opening weeks of the 2017 fall semester at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies. One of...

Why do Jews Use the Matronymic in Prayers for the Sick?* Volume 11, Number 2

| 10/11/2016

In memory of Freda Leavey z”l (1921-2016) who passed away in Jerusalem, 19 Marheshvan 5777 “At age 100 like age...

Maximizing the Day of Judgment: From Repentance to Self-Worth / Rabbi Arie Hasit

Rabbi Ari Hasit

| 13/10/2016

The holiday that falls on the first two days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei has many names. Most famously,...

TALI’s Contribution to the “Jewish-Israel-Culture Program” – What the Ministry of Education Can Learn from Us

Dr. Eitan Chikli

| 12/09/2016

Since the establishment of the State of Israel, there has been ongoing debate over the Ministry of Education’s role in...

Why I Flew One Million Miles for Jewish Education Responsa in a Moment: Volume 11, Issue No. 1, September 2016

| 10/09/2016

The High Holidays are a time of transition from one Jewish year to the next. During the week of September...

Tisha B’Av’s Place in Contemporary Society

| 13/08/2016

Every year camp counselors confront a dilemma: what content is appropriate for Tisha B’Av when this fast day occurs during...

Israeli Identity 101

The recent Pew Survey on Israel, conducted from fall 2014-Spring 2015 examined the religious identity of Israelis. The survey was...

Is it Permissible to Renovate or Build a New Building During the Nine Days Which begin on Rosh Hodesh Av? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 10, Issue No. 8, July 2016

| 10/07/2016

Question: Is it permissible to renovate or build a new building during “the nine days” which begin on Rosh Hodesh Av? Does...

Two Women Who Clung to the Shechinah

Within ancient Hebrew manuscripts, scattered among libraries throughout the world, one can find some surprising treasures, like previously unknown and...

Why do Jews Eat Milk and Dairy Products on Shavuot? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 10, Issue No. 7, June 2016

| 10/06/2016

Orah Hayyim 494:3 in the Rema Question: When did Jews start eating milk and dairy products on Shavuot and why? Responsum:...

Why do we spill 16 drops of wine while reciting the Ten Plagues during the Seder? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 10, Issue No. 6, April 2016

| 10/06/2016

Orah Hayyim 473:7 in the Rema In memory of Donna Webman z”l who was buried in her beloved city of Jerusalem, 9 Nisan 5776. Yehi...

David Raziel: A Pre-State Hero’s Story of Final Rest

This article is dedicated to the memory of the IDF’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror on the eve of Israel’s...

The Book of Chronicles and the Ephraimites that Never Went to Egypt

Did the story of the exodus really happen? Did the entire Israelite people suffer slavery in Egypt before arriving in...

The Complexities of Purim

Purim is a holiday whose meaning is shrouded in mystery. The only clear element is what we are commanded to...

Adding Adar Bet: Striking a Balance

| 13/02/2016

This Hebrew year consists of thirteen months rather than twelve. Jews throughout the world will add (“intercalate”) a second month...

Is it Permissible to Institutionalize Parents with Alzheimer’s Disease? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 10, Issue No. 5, February 2016

| 10/02/2016

Yoreh Deah 240:10 In memory of my father and teacher, Rabbi Noah Golinkin z”l On his 13th yahrzeit, 25 Adar I,...

Visual Midrash on the Parting of the Red Sea: Parashah Beshalach

| 12/01/2016

Moses said to the people: Fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will show...

What is the Proper Way to Refer to the Parents of a Convert? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 10, Issue No. 4, January 2016

Marriage

| 10/01/2016

n memory of my mother, Devorah Golinkin z”l on her fourth yahrzeit Question from a rabbi in Jerusalem: I am...

The Menorah: Spanning the Entire Zionist Spectrum from Herzl to HaRav Kook

On Chanukah in the year 1897, shortly after the First Zionist Congress was held, Theodore Herzl wrote an article called...

Uncovering Women’s Lives in the Cairo Geniza

| 13/11/2015

In his monumental work, A Mediterranean Society, S.D. Goitein devoted an entire chapter of Volume III to “The World of...

The Middle Way in Israel Today Responsa in a Moment: Volume 10, Issue No. 3, November 2015

| 10/11/2015

In memory of Prof. Solomon Schechter prolific scholar, discoverer of the Cairo Genizah, President of the Jewish Theological Seminary, founder...

Why Do Children March with Flags on Simhat Torah? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 10, Issue No. 2, October 2015

| 13/10/2015

In memory of Rabbi Paul Laderman z”l who passed away on 8 Tishrei 5776, who was among the disciples of Aaron: loving...

Rosh Hashana: Judgement Day or Day of Creation?

Jewish sources posit different dates and meaning to the Jewish New Year. The verses of the Rosh Hashanah Torah reading...

Yom Kippur and Procrastination

| 13/09/2015

Erev Yom Kippur, minutes before the storm. A point of time in the regular weekday that is nonetheless all holiness....

Sukkot: Celebrating Jerusalem as the Center of the Earth

One of the most curious phenomena associated with the rituals of the Second Temple Judaism is the water libation offered...

Why do we Wear a Kittel and use White Torah Mantles, Table Covers and Ark Curtains in the Synagogue on the High Holy Days? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 10, Issue No. 1, September 2015

| 11/09/2015

Orah Hayyim 610: 4 in the Rema In memory of grandma Esther Perlberg z”l who exemplified the simple piety of the Jews of Eastern...

Are Jews Smarter?

| 13/07/2015

The following article, written by Dr. Paul Shrell-Fox, is a synopsis of a lecture he delivered in June, one of a six-part...

As a Driven Leaf by Rabbi Milton Steinberg – Notes and Sources Responsa in a Moment: Volume 9, Issue No. 7, July 2015

Art and Literature

| 10/07/2015

As a Driven Leaf by Rabbi Milton Steinberg is one of the most successful Jewish historical novels ever published in English...

Learning the Language of Profound Tolerance

Rabbi Dr. Benjamin Lau

| 14/06/2015

I wish to first of all thank the Schechter Institute and the Award Committee who chose to award me, along...

The Seventeenth of Tammuz: Canceling the Fast

Dr. Yoel Rappel

| 13/06/2015

According to Jewish tradition, five events took place on the 17th of Tammuz: Moses smashed the tablets of the Law,...

Is Judaism Really in Favor of Pluralism and Tolerance? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 9, Issue No. 6, June 2015

| 10/06/2015

Question: During the past two months, we have witnessed three major cases of a lack of pluralism and tolerance in the...

Counting the Weeks: A Farmer’s Almanac

According to the Rabbis, Shavuot, like the other festivals of the Jewish year, has a specific date on the calendar;...

Why do we Decorate Synagogues and Homes with Trees and Flowers in Honor of Shavuot? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 9, Issue No. 5, May 2015

| 10/05/2015

In honor of my new grandson, born on 27 Iyar 5775 יפרח כשושנה “May he blossom like a lily” (Hosea 14:6)...

The Circle of the Seder Plate; The Cycle of Our Fortunes

When recalling my Jewish childhood, the first memory that comes to mind is from Seder night – the immaculate house,...

Rice, Beans and Kitniyot on Pesah: Are they Really Forbidden? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 9, Issue No. 4, March 2015

| 15/03/2015

This responsum was originally written in Hebrew for the Va’ad Halakhah of the Rabbinical Assembly of Israel in 1989 and...

Does Justice Have a Gender?

| 13/03/2015

With our return to sovereignty our eyes look towards the legislating body, the Knesset. We demand to find a legal...

Drinking on Purim: A Return to the One

| 13/02/2015

On Purim we are bidden to get so thoroughly drunk on wine or other intoxicants that we are unable to...

What is the Halakhic Status of an Uncircumcised Jew? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 9, Issue No. 3, February 2015

| 10/02/2015

In memory of my father-in-law Daniel ben Meir Halevi Rotnemer z”l on his yahrzeit. Questions from two laypeople and one rabbi: May an...

Holocaust Survivors in Israel – Living Symbols of Poverty

Dr. Galia Glasner Heled

| 13/01/2015

We have a special obligation to see to the welfare of Holocaust survivors. The government has provided additional resources to...

Why Do We Give Hanukkah Gelt and Hanukkah Presents? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 9, Issue No. 2, December 2014

| 10/12/2014

In memory of Jerry and Miriam Katzin z”l, who gave generously to Israel, the Jewish people and Jewish education. “Beloved...

The War of Cultures: An Evolutionary Analysis

At the Schechter MA graduation ceremony in Jerusalem a few months ago, the master of ceremonies, Jacky Levy, a well-known...

When Should One Correct the Torah Reader?

| 10/11/2014

In memory of Rabbi Marc Liebhaber z”l Ohev Yisrael, Talmid Hakham, Ba’al Tzedakah on his shloshim. Question: In some synagogues the Gabbai corrects the Torah...

The Four Species in Ancient Jewish Art

While some believe that ancient Jewish culture was primarily textual, based on written and oral traditions, studies of Jewish art...

Thoughts for the New Year: “Man Was Created on Rosh Hashanah” and “Of Uman, Community and 21st Century ‘I’”

Dr. Tomer Persico

| 13/09/2014

With the high holidays approaching, the Schechter Institutes wish you and your loved ones a most festive and meaningful holiday...

Woman and Ritual: Bat-Mitzvah in Israel Curricula

How should a young Jewish Israeli girl celebrate her bat mitzvah? The answer to this question is clear to members...

What Can We Learn from our Sources about the War in Gaza?

| 10/08/2014

Rabbi Golinkin wrote this responsum in January 2009. Unfortunately it is relevant once again. Question: Much has been written about...

A Funeral that Teaches the Art of Living

From the story of a life on its last journey, from words of family members gathered around the grave, rises...

What Does Jewish Law Say about the Murder of Muhammed Abu Khdeir and other Attacks Against Innocent Arabs? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 8, Issue No. 9, July 2014

| 10/07/2014

Question: During the past few years we have witnessed a growing phenomenon of “price tag” attacks in which religious Zionist teenagers...

The Giving of the Law at Sinai

| 12/06/2014

VISUAL MIDRASH is a most special place. We invite you to discover the beauty and wealth of information found within this...

Jewish Unity and the Spring Holidays Responsa in a Moment: Volume 8, Issue No. 8, June 2014

| 10/06/2014

The fall holidays are primarily interested in relations between man and God, between the Jewish people and the Creator. Not...

Ruminations on Memory and its Transmission to the Next Generation

Every year, the days between Passover and Independence Day are a period of rumination for me regarding the purpose of...

A Dialogue about Judaism in Israel Today in Honor of Israel’s 66th Independence Day Responsa in a Moment: Volume 8, Issue No. 7, May 2014

| 12/05/2014

In memory of 23,169 soldiers who fell defending the State of Israel. May their memory be for a blessing. In December 2013,...

How to Foil a Revolution

A well-known theory about the Exodus posits that a slave revolt lay behind the biblical account (See the discussion in...

Why do we Put a Shank Bone (zeroa) and Egg (beitzah) on the Seder Plate? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 8, Issue No. 6, April 2014

| 10/04/2014

In memory of Rabbi Moshe Aranov z”l, a gentle rabbi and beloved teacher Question: Must one use a shank bone and egg...

Rabbis in Spiritual Crisis*

| 13/03/2014

Belief in God is an intuitive belief given our neurobiological makeup. Intuitive reasoning tends to change over a lifetime to...

Why do Ashkenazic Jews Eat Hamentashen on Purim? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 8, Issue No. 5, March 2014

| 10/03/2014

Question from Martin Koenig: What is the origin of eating hamentashen on Purim? Responsum: Throughout the generations, Jews in different lands ate many different...

A Proposal for a Systemic Solution to the Problem of Agunot Honoring International Women’s Day 2014

Rabbi Diana Villa

| 14/02/2014

It is inexcusable that many women who want to get divorced are faced with their spouses’ recalcitrance and must sometimes...

Bouena Sarfatty of Salonika: A Partisan-Poet Holocaust Survivor

| 13/01/2014

While investigating an eminent Sephardi family named de Botton from the Ottoman Empirein 1989, I wrote to all the Sephardi...

The Crisis in Jewish Law Today Responsa in a Moment: Volume 8, Issue No. 4, January 2014

| 10/01/2014

n memory of my mother, Devorah Golinkin z”l on her second yahrzeit, 27 Tevet 5774 In December, 2013, Prof. Joshua Berman, a...

Zion Gate-The Battle over Early Zionist Symbols: Between Zion and Zionism, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Jaffa

“I am the gate for whom your holy city is named: Zion” (Yitzchak Navon, The Six Days and the Seven...

Torah Study vs. Acts of Loving Kindness: Which is More Important? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 8, Issue No. 3, December 2013

| 10/12/2013

In memory of my father, Rabbi Noah Golinkin z”l, who taught us how to combine Torah study with gemilut hassadim...

A Lesson We Can Learn from the Rabin Assassination

Rabbi Shlomo Tucker

| 14/11/2013

Delivered at the Schechter Institute Memorial Service for Israel’s Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin z”l, on the Hebrew yahrzeit of his...

Why the State of Israel Should Abolish the Chief Rabbinate

| 10/11/2013

(This article was written at the request of The Jerusalem Report; To read that version click here) This week we will...

The Binding of Isaac in Art: Piety and Protest

| 12/10/2013

The article The Binding of Isaac: Piety and Protest explores this week’s Torah Portion “Vayera” in a totally new light:...

Is it permissible to practice reading the Torah from a Torah Scroll? Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin

Bar-Bat Mitzvah

| 10/10/2013

To my granddaughter Maya Golinkin on her first birthday Question from Rabbi David Ebstein: Is it permissible for a child to practice...

Yom Kippur: A Day for Moral and Cosmic Self-Examination

| 13/09/2013

The Days of Awe, or High Holidays, including Yom Kippur, constitute one of two beginnings in the Hebrew calendar. The second...

Joy and Gladness on the Ninth of Av and Yom Ha’atzma’ut

As a Zionist and a religious Jew especially on Ninth of Av, I see God’s hand in the rebirth of...

The Status of Women in Jewish Law: a Dialogue with Shmuel Rosner in the LA Jewish Journal Responsa in a Moment: Volume 7, Issue No. 9, July 2013

| 10/07/2013

In late 2012, the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies published my new book The Status of Women in Jewish Law:...

Does Jewish Law Permit Internet Surveillance? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 7, Issue No. 8, June 2013

| 10/06/2013

Question: Since The Washington Post broke the story on June 7th, the media has reported that the NSA (National Security Agency) of...

From Sinai to Ruth: Why We Read Megillat Ruth on Shavuot Israel Standing Before God

I would like to thank all who heard, responded, and helped me formulate this article: the Tehuda Seminary: Sara Leibovitz...

Why do Many Jews Stay up all Night Studying Torah on Shavuot? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 7, Issue No. 7, May 2013

| 10/05/2013

Question: It is customary to study Torah all night at a Tikkun Leil Shavuot. What are the sources and the customs related...

From the Heart of Europe to the Far East: German Jewish Refugees in Shanghai

Prof. Guy Miron

| 13/04/2013

(This article is based on a longer article published under this title appearing in the journal B’shvil Hazikaron, Vol. 13...

From the Plague of Fish (דג) to the Plague of Blood (דם)

Everyone knows that the first of the ten plagues sent to afflict the Egyptians was the plague of blood. The...

“A Heritage of the Entire Jewish People from the Six Days of Creation” Responsa in a Moment: Volume 7, Issue No. 6, March 2013

| 10/03/2013

In memory of my father and teacher, Rabbi Noah Golinkin z”l, who taught 200,000 adults how to read Hebrew. Regarding my father, see...

Halakhic Engagement with Modern Challenges: New Publication of Rabbi Chaim Hirschensohn, Malki Bakodesh, Part II

| 14/02/2013

Marking the publication of the book Rabbi Chaim Hirschensohn, Malki Bakodesh, Part II, edited by David Zohar, and co-published by...

Just How Drunk Should a Jew Get on Purim? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 7, Issue No. 5, February 2013

| 10/02/2013

In memory of Rabbi Prof. David Hartman z”l “Rabbi of his people, Leader of his nation” (Sanhedrin 14a) Yehi zikhro...

How Long Should a Child Recite the Mourners’ Kaddish for a Parent? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 7, Issue No. 4, January 2013

| 10/01/2013

In memory of my mother & teacher Devorah Golinkin z”l On her first yahrzeit 27 Tevet 5773 Question: It is common...

Festival of Lights – A Holiday for All: Marpeh and Spiritual Care at Schechter

| 12/12/2012

Chanukah, the Festival of Lights – when those colorful little candles illuminate the great darkness imposed by nature, when the...

What does Jewish Law Have to Say about Surrogacy? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 7, Issue No. 3, December 2012

| 10/12/2012

Question: What does Jewish law have to say about conceiving children through surrogacy? Responsum: I) Introduction As summarized by Rabbi Elie...

The Yetser Hatov in Rabbinic Thought

The rabbinic notion of two inclinations – good and evil – vying for domination in each human heart is first...

Is the Entire Kotel Plaza Really a Synagogue? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 4, Issue No. 3, February 2010

| 10/11/2012

In light of the recent arrest of three women at the Kotel for the “crime” of singing aloud and wearing...

The Sweetness of “Bitter-Heshvan”

Rabbi Elisha Wolfin

| 12/10/2012

The month of October, or Mar Heshvan (“bitter-Heshvan”as it is playfully called,) denotes the period of time immediately following the...

Zionism: A Unifying Movement Within Judaism

| 13/09/2012

These days, as the topic of the rift within the Jewish People pervades the media (less so the street), it...

“Running:” – A Dvar Torah for Rosh Hashanah Responsa for Today: Volume 7, Issue No. 1, September 2012

| 10/09/2012

Dear Friends, This month’s column is a dvar torah instead of a reponsum. Please allow me to wish all of...

Jewish Women in Mediterranean Society

| 12/07/2012

The Genizah collection has provided an entrée into what is aptly described by S. D. Goitein in the third volume...

Remembering the Destruction of the Temple – Good or Bad?* Responsa in a Moment: Volume 6, Issue No. 8, July 2012

| 10/07/2012

I had the privilege of spending July 12-17, 2012 in Kiev as part of a joint mission of the Schechter Institute and...

An Evolutionary Look at Jewish Religious Practice

| 13/06/2012

Last November SIJS hosted a one-of-a-kind conference in conjunction with the Binah Yitzrit Foundation of Austin Texas. The theme of...

Why is Keriah Performed on the Left Side for Parents but on the Right Side for Other Relatives? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 6, Issue No. 7, June 2012

| 10/06/2012

Yoreh Deah 340:9 in the Shakh and the Taz Question from a rabbi who recently lost his father: For all these...

Seeing the Voices: Some Thoughts on the Nature of Revelation

“And all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blare of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when...

Is it Permissible to Eat and Drink in a Synagogue Sanctuary or Bet Midrash? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 6, Issue No. 6, May 2012

| 10/05/2012

Question: It is customary to serve meals and hold communal dinners in a synagogue sanctuary or Bet Midrash on Shavuot, Pesah,...

The Song of Songs and the Story of the Exodus from Egypt

It is customary to read the Song of Songs on Pesach. Some read it at night after completing the Haggadah;...

Romaine Lettuce or Horseradish: Will the Real Maror Please Stand Up?

| 10/04/2012

In memory of Rabbi Monique Susskind Goldberg z”l Rabbi, scholar, mentsch. Question: Most Jews in the Diaspora use horseradish for maror at the seder,...

On Purim and Yom Ha-Kippurim

Our Sages said: “All festivals will be annulled, except for the days of Purim, as it is written: ‘And these...

May Women Read the Megillah in Public? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 6, Issue No. 4, March 2012

| 10/03/2012

In Memory of my Mother and Teacher Blume Devorah bat Esther z”l On her shloshim, 28 Shvat 5772 Question: Is it...

Between Land and State – ‘Greater Land of Israel’ according to Tabenkin and the United Kibbutz Movement

A few months ago I submitted my doctoral thesis to Haifa University. The dissertation examines the theoretical sources of the...

Handmade Midrash

| 12/01/2012

The seed that became The Handmade Midrash workshop of the last twenty-five years germinated from a momentary flash of insight...

“He Who has a Heart Thirsting for the Light… Come Join Us:” Chanukah and the Zionists

| 14/12/2011

We carry torches, on dark nights, The paths glow beneath our feet, And he who has a heart thirsting for...

What Does Jewish Law Say about “Price Tag” Attacks Against Israeli Soldiers and Innocent Arabs? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 6, Issue No. 3, December 2011

| 10/12/2011

Question: During the past few years we have witnessed a worrisome phenomenon of “price tag” attacks in which religious Zionist teenagers...

“Kol B’ishah Ervah” – Is it Really Forbidden for Jewish Men to Listen to Women Singing? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 6, Issue No. 2, November 2011

| 10/11/2011

In memory of Rabbi Moshe Zemer z”l (1932-2011) Rabbi, scholar and mentsch Question: On September 5, 2011, an IDF entertainment troupe...

Isru Hag: Binding the Festival with Eating and Drinking

Scholars have long been puzzled by a difficult verse in the book of Psalms, recited towards the end of the...

Blessing and Atonement: Blessings, Honoring Parents, Atonement and Closeness

If we stop a moment to think back and ask ourselves how our Jewish identity has been formed by our...

The Confession of Sins on Yom Kippur Responsa in a Moment: Volume 6, Issue No. 1, September 2011

| 10/09/2011

In memory of my grandmother, Esther Perlberg z”l, who exemplified the simple piety of Eastern Europe, on her 36th yahrzeit. Question: What...

The Blood is Still Seething : A Message for Tish’a B’Av 5771

Rabbi Moshe M. Silberschein

| 13/07/2011

Then he killed women as well as babes at the breast, And the blood rose among them like a sea,...

Dona Gracia Nasi (1510-1569): A Conversa of Import

| 13/06/2011

Last year marked the 500th anniversary of the birth of one of the most well-known women in Jewish history: Dona...

Shavuot: Whatever Happened to The Ten Commandments? Responsa in a Moment: June 2011

| 10/06/2011

This article is based on my brief Dvar Torah which appeared in Iyyuney Shabbat, Shavuot 5758; Israel Abrahams, Festival Studies,...

The Labor of Sovereignty: Remembrance Day and Independence Day

Rabbi Tamar Elad Applebaum

| 15/05/2011

In memory of my beloved brother, Nadav Elad z”l Who fell on duty on the 18th of Av 5761 With...

The Goal versus the Way: On Pluralism and the Exodus from Egypt

Dr. Galia Glasner Heled

| 12/04/2011

Ruth Duek, a political activist and a member of Besod Siach (an “Organization for the Promotion of Dialogue Between Conflict...

The Student Struggle Against the Holocaust Responsa in a Moment: April 2011

| 10/04/2011

Note: This month’s column is not a responsum. In honor of Yom Hashoah, which is observed this year on May...

Seriously Laughing to Death: Couples’ Games and Masks in the Book of Esther

Dr. Michal Govrin

| 14/03/2011

One way to read the Book of Esther is as a comedy laden with twists of fate evolving in fast...

Blotting Out Haman on Purim Responsa in a Moment: Volume 5, Issue No. 5, March 2011

| 10/03/2011

לעילוי נשמת דודתי המחנכת מרים גולינקין ז”ל שנלב”ע י”ב אדר תשנ”א כתוצאה ממעשיו של המן מודרני Question: There is a...

Attitudes Towards the Non-Jew in 20th Century Jewish Thought

| 14/02/2011

The issue of the Jewish stance towards the non-Jew recently came to the fore as a result of a rabbinic...

When a Person Passed Away in Adar, When is the Yahrzeit Observed in a Leap Year? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 5, Issue No. 4, February 2011

| 10/02/2011

In memory of my father and teacher Rabbi Noah Golinkin z”l who passed away on 25 Adar I 5763 “Sheli v’shelakhem shelo”...

Behind the Scenes of NASHIM: The Trials and Tribulations of an Academic Editor

| 12/01/2011

Recently I was asked as of when have I been serving as the academic editor of NASHIM, and to be...

Is it Permissible to Change the Wording about the Sacrifices in the Middle Blessing of the Musaf Service? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 5, Issue No. 3, January 2011

| 10/01/2011

Question: In light of the fact that many modern Jews do not feel comfortable asking God to restore the sacrificial service...

Ascribing New Meaning to Hanukkah after the Destruction of the Temple

The regulations for lighting the Hanukkah lamp are found in neither the Mishnah nor the Tosefta, the corpora reflecting halakhic...

Is it Permissible to Sell or Rent an Apartment to a non-Jew in the Land of Israel? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 5, Issue No. 2, December 2010

Interfaith

| 10/12/2010

Question: On December 7, 2010, The Jerusalem Post reported (Jpost.com) that a group of forty municipal rabbis in Israel published a letter which...

“One Law You Shall Have for the Foreigner and the Native Alike:” Social Justice in the Teachings of the Tannaim

Dr. Moti Arad

| 13/11/2010

The Sages of the 2nd century in the Land of Israel The challenge placed before the Jew who truthfully and...

Why Don’t We Read a Scroll on Hanukkah? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 5, Issue No. 1, November 2010

| 10/11/2010

Question: The holiday of Hanukkah has many beautiful customs such as the dreidl, latkes, and sufganiyot, but there is one custom which we would...

The Rabbis and Rain – The Religious and the Secular Approaches

“The rains come due to the merit of one person, one blade of grass, one field” (Talmud Yerushalmi, Tractate Ta’anit...

Rosh Hashanah: Creation of the World and Creation of Mankind

Rabbi Prof. Alexander Even Chen

| 12/09/2010

Of the midrashim that describe the creation of the world, one stands out that is short and puzzling. Breishit Raba...

The Song of Songs and Tu B’Av Love Festivities

Tu B’Av – Festival of Love Of the festivals and special days that we mark during the year, the 15th of...

Is There a Jewish Perspective on Modern Biblical Criticism? In Memoriam: Professor Moshe Greenberg and Professor Jacob Milgrom

Can the critical study of the Bible in the academic world be seen to have a clear Jewish aspect which...

Should we Continue to Fast on Tisha B’av and other Fasts which Commemorate the Temple’s Destruction? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 4, Issue No. 7, June 2010

| 10/06/2010

Question: In light of the rebirth of the State of Israel and the reunification of Jerusalem, should we continue to fast...

Measuring the “Holiness” of the Land of Israel: The Western Wall

The Western Wall After 1967 Ever since 1967 Israeli society has been preoccupied with the question of the quintessential meaning...

Is There an Alternative to Reciting Akdamut on Shavuot? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 4, Issue No. 6, May 2010

| 10/05/2010

Edited by Cantor Abe Golinkin and Rabbi David Golinkin Editors’ Note: This article was written by our father, Rabbi Noah...

From Breslau to Jerusalem: Rabbinical Seminaries as a Reflection of Jewish Renewal

| 13/04/2010

As the Jews entered the modern period in Europe, the question of the role and the future of the Rabbinate...

Why do Some Jews Recite a Special Verse at the End of the Amidah? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 4, Issue No. 5, April 2010

| 10/04/2010

In memory of the soldiers and civilians who fell defending the State of Israel, whose names we remember on Yom...

Four Cups of Wine: A Path to Freedom

Many people have the impression that the Jewish tradition discourages drinking. There is little evidence of this in the sources....

Are Jews Required to Give a Maaser [Tithe] of their Income to Tzedakah? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 4, Issue No. 4, March 2010

| 10/03/2010

In memory of Bill Davidson z”l one of the greatest philanthropists of our generation on his first yahrzeit. Question: What are...

‘She’s Got A Man’s Head On Her Shoulders’ Ada Fishman (Maimon) as a Test Case For Women’s Political Activity

| 13/02/2010

The emergent Zionist society in Eretz Israel witnessed the rise of staunch women leaders. One of these women was Ada...

Is the Entire Kotel Plaza Really a Synagogue? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 4, Issue No. 3, February 2010

| 10/02/2010

Question: Since the arrest of Nofrat Frenkel in November 2009 for wearing a tallit and trying to read the Torah at the...

The Agunah Problem and Israel’s Law of the Land

Divorce

Marriage

Rabbi Diana Villa

| 12/12/2009

Reprinted with permission from Sh’ma: A Journal of Jewish Responsibility, shma.com, December 2009. Israel is both a Jewish State and...

The Stones Cast by the Oppressors Became the Keystone: Emil Fackenheim, the 614th Commandment and Kristallnacht

Ari Bursztein

| 13/11/2009

Kristallnacht is lodged in Jewish memory as a turning point in the active anti-Semitism that led to the Final Solution....

What are the Attributes of a Good Cantor? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 4, Issue No. 2, November 2009

| 10/11/2009

In memory of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach z”l on his 15th yahrzeit Question: When choosing a good cantor, whether a professional or simply...

Men and Women: Beyond Perfunctory Equality to a Spiritual Covenant

| 12/10/2009

The Rabbis taught: “Sins between man and God are atoned for by Yom Kippur; those between man and his fellow,...

Why do we Recite Psalm 27 from Rosh Hodesh Elul until Hoshanah Rabbah? Responsa for Today: Volume 4, Issue No. 1, October 2009

| 10/10/2009

Question: From Rosh Hodesh Elul until Hoshanah Rabbah, Ashkenazic Jews recite Psalm 27, The Penitential Psalm, every morning and every evening...

Worshipping the Creator Prof. Moshe Benovitz

| 15/09/2009

There is one thing I’ve always found quite puzzling about the world-view of the Torah and the Bible as a...

TALI Schools: Fostering “Unconditional Love”

During the second week in July, we note the seventeenth day of Tammuz, the day on which the walls of...

Which Books May be Studied in Order to Hold a Siyyum? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 3, Issue No. 10, July 2009

| 10/07/2009

Question: It is customary to hold a siyyum – a party or a feast – upon completion of a Talmud tractate. Is...

Eliezer Schweid on the Relation between Halakhah and Secularism

| 14/06/2009

One of the most significant cultural trends in Israeli society is the resurgence of interest in Jewish texts among circles...

May Women Serve as Mohalot? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 3, Issue No. 9, June 2009

| 10/06/2009

Question: May women serve as Mohalot? Yoreh Deah 264 Responsum: I) The Biblical Period (Brief references below refer to the Bibliography which follows)....

The Sad Story of Ariella

Megillat [the scroll of] Ruth, traditionally read on Shavu’ot, tells the story of Naomi, her husband Elimelekh and their two...

Is it Permissible for a Jew to Attend the “Body Worlds” Exhibit? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 3, Issue No. 8, May 2009

| 10/05/2009

Yoreh Deah 357:1 Question: The Body Worlds exhibit opened at the “Madatech” in Haifa on April 6, 2009 and it will...

Retribution is Not Enough

| 13/04/2009

(based on articles from “In Our Community” published by JTS in October 2008 and “Unsung Heroes,” Ha’aretz, March 2009) In...

What is the Purpose of the Mnemonic Dzakh Adash B’ahav in the Haggadah? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 3, Issue No. 7, April 2009

| 10/04/2009

Question: In the Haggadah, Rabbi Judah gives the ten plagues a siman, a mnemonic: Dzakh Adash B’ahav. Why did he need...

Adar and Purim in Salonika (as Reflected in the Poetry of Bouena Sarfatty)

| 13/03/2009

This article is part of a forthcoming book, An Ode to Salonika: The Coplas of Bouena Sarfatty. Bouena Sarfatty Garfinkle was...

A Tribute to Bill Davidson z”l (1922-2009) Responsa in a Moment: Volume 3, Issue No. 6, March 2009

| 10/03/2009

This month’s column will not be a responsum but rather a tribute to Mr. William Davidson, one of the leading...

Study of the Ancient Seder and Modern Observance

After 10 years of studying the rabbinic texts that went into composing the seder, after reading numerous studies on the...

Kristallnacht: A Turning Point in German Jewish History

Prof. Guy Miron

| 13/01/2009

During the night between Nov 9-10, 1938, a pogrom took place in the streets of Germany and Austria in which...

What Can We Learn From Our Sources About the War in Gaza? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 3, Issue No. 5, January 2009

| 11/01/2009

Question: Much has been written about the current war against Hamas in Gaza. What can we learn from our sources...

Does Jewish Law Permit Taking a Census? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 3, Issue No. 4, December 2008

| 11/12/2008

Orah Hayyim 55 in Pri Hadash and Kaf Hahayyim Question: Israel’s sixth population census – the last one took place...

(Post) Modern Alienation and Hope: Zionism as a Longing for Meaning

Jews throughout the world who became ardent Zionists during the 19th and 20th centuries relate the same personal testimony heard...

How Often Should Mezuzot and Tefillin be Checked by a Sofer? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 3, Issue No. 3, November 2008

| 11/11/2008

Question from Rabbi Tzvi Landau: How often should mezuzot and tefillin be checked by a sofer? Responsum: I. Mezuzot (In...

Yom Kippur: Day of No Justice

| 15/10/2008

Many people erroneously think of Yom Kippur as Yom Hadin, Judgment Day – a day on which we celebrate God’s...

A Responsum Regarding the Environment and Air Pollution Responsa in a Moment: Volume 3, Issue No. 2, October 2008

| 11/10/2008

Question for Arad: The Rotem Amfert company wants to open a new phosphate quarry at Sdeh Brir near Arad. It...

Why do we Eat Special Foods on Rosh Hashanah? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 3, Issue No. 1, September 2008

| 11/09/2008

Question: There is a custom to eat special foods on Rosh Hashanah. What are the sources of this custom? Why do...

The Temple Destruction and its Visual Expression in Sephardic Bibles

The catastrophe of the Temple’s destruction in the year 70 stimulated a treasury of Jewish symbols that expressed visually the...

A Responsum Regarding the Annulment of Conversions Responsa in a Moment: Volume 2, Issue No. 9, June 2008

| 11/06/2008

Question: At the beginning of May 2008, a panel of three dayyanim (judges) of the High Rabbinical Court of the Chief...

Why I Made Aliyah Responsa in a Moment: Volume 2, Issue No. 8, May 2008

| 11/05/2008

This month’s column is not a responsum. It was written at the request of Rhonda Kahn, Editor of “CJ: Voices...

Israel in Egypt: Slaves or Sojourners?

Did the Israelites really come up out of Egypt ? Is there any historical actuality beneath the Exodus story? And...

A Responsum Regarding Erev Pesach Which Falls on Shabbat Responsa in a Moment: Volume 2, Issue No. 7, April 2008

| 11/04/2008

“But a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 This responsum is dedicated to the memory of my grandfather...

Queen Vashti’s Costume Party

The article is part of the entry “Vashti”, written by the author for the Encyclopedia, Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical...

Reciting Verses Aloud in Honor of Esther During the Megillah Reading Responsa in a Moment: Volume 2, Issue No. 6, March 2008 Orah Hayyim 690:17

| 11/03/2008

Question: When the Megillah is read in public on Purim, it is customary for the congregation to recite aloud four verses...

The Father (Herzl) and the Holy (Zionist) Spirit

| 14/02/2008

In this article, I will shed light on a lesser-known Herzl, as expressed in his literary work of the 1890s...

Is There a Problem with Plaques? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 2, Issue No. 5, February 2008

| 11/02/2008

Yoreh Deah 249:13 Question: It is a common Jewish practice to publicize the names of donors and to put up...

Aharon David Gordon on Ecology and Love of Eretz Yisrael

Jews around the world will celebrate Tu B’shvat – “The New Year of the Trees” – on January 22. In...

Should We Stand or Sit for the Kaddish?

| 11/01/2008

Question : In some congregations people stand for the Kaddish, in others they sit, and in others some stand and...

Does Jewish Law Permit Cremation? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 2, Issue No. 3, December 2007

| 11/12/2007

Background: In July 2005, Alon Nativ opened up “Aley Shalechet”, Israel ‘s first crematorium, in Hibbat Zion, a Moshav south...

Hanukkah: Holiday of Hearth and Home

In Memory of Munir Murdoch z”l, who transformed the Schechter Institute into a Home. Traditionally, Hanukkah celebrates two distinct events:...

A Responsum Concerning a Landlord-Tenant Dispute Responsa in a Moment: Volume 2, Issue No. 2, November 2007

| 11/11/2007

Hoshen Mishpat 312 Question: Out of a desire to provide inexpensive housing for its students, a Jewish Educational Institution (hereafter:...

Biblical Covenant and the Liberal State: A Reflection on the Rabin Assassination

The word “Covenant” (Brit) appears in over 200 places in the Tanach. It is used to describe a relationship between...

How Should Shemitah (The Sabbatical Year) be Observed in the State of Israel?

| 11/10/2007

Question: The year 5768 (2007-2008) is considered a Shemitah (sabbatical) year. How should Shemitah be observed in the State of Israel? This...

The Prophet Jonah: Leadership and Taking Responsibility

These days are a time of crisis: a crisis of leadership and of faith in leaders. They direct us to...

Nature-Nurture & Free Will

| 13/07/2007

The age-old adage – “does the person make the job or the job make the person?” is being framed quite...

Three Early Modern Jewish Women Leaders (16th to 19th centuries)

| 13/06/2007

Every society is concerned with the nature of its leadership; a glance at any newspaper on any given day reveals...

Is it Permissible to Recite a Mee Sheberakh (Prayer for the Sick) for a Non-Jew?

| 11/06/2007

Question from an Israeli rabbi: A member of my congregation came back from a trip abroad. She met there with...

The Zionist Movement and East Jerusalem: A Continuing Saga

My research into the romance that flourished between the Zionist Movement and Jerusalem began years ago. When I began my...

Is it Permissible for Jews to Enter the Temple Mount in Our Day? In Honor of Jerusalem on the 40th Anniversary of Reunification.

| 11/05/2007

Question: Shortly after the Six Day War in June 1967, the Chief Rabbinate posted a large sign at the Moghrabi Gate...

Why is it Customary to Mourn Between Pesach and Shavuot? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 1, Issue No. 8, April 2007

| 11/04/2007

Question: It is customary not to get married and not to shave or cut one’s hair between Pesah and Lag Ba’omer...

Must Cosmetics Be Kosher for Pesah? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 1, Issue No. 7, March 2007

| 11/03/2007

Question: Do cosmetic products such as make-up, perfume and shampoo require a Kosher for Pesah label? Responsum: Rabbi Isidor Grunfeld states...

How Can Apostates Such as the Falash Mura Return to Judaism? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 1, Issue No. 5, January 2007

| 11/01/2007

Yoreh De’ah 268:12 Question: In our day, there are many Jews who have converted to Christianity or Islam – among them...

The Burning Issues Confronting World Jewry and the Jews of Israel

This article is based on a speech delivered by Amb. Halevy at the opening dinner of the Schechter Institute Groundbreaking...

A Responsum Regarding the Right to Privacy Responsa in a Moment: Volume 1, Issue No. 4, December 2006

| 11/12/2006

Hoshen Mishpat 154: 3, 7 This responsum began as part of a lengthy paper entitled “A Halakhic Approach to the...

The Window Across From My Window

“The Window Across from My Window” is taken from Israel as a Pluralist State: Achievements and Goals, a collection of...

What is the Jewish Attitude Towards Medicine? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 1, Issue No. 3, November 2006

| 11/11/2006

In Memory of Brenda Kaufman Berman z”l On her twelfth yahrzeit 3 Shevat 5766 Yoreh Deah 336:1 Question: It says in...

When I Get to Heaven

Hershel of Ostropol, died as he lived, with a joke on his lips. As the end neared, the people of...

Why and When Do We Read The Book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) In Public? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 1, Issue No. 2, October 2006 Orah Hayyim 663:2 (1)

| 11/10/2006

Question: There is a widespread custom to read the book of Kohelet on Sukkot or Shmini Atzeret or Simhat Torah. Why...

When Should Selihot Be Recited? Responsa in a Moment: Volume 1, Issue No. 1, September 2006

| 11/09/2006

Orah Hayyim 581:1 Question: When is the proper time to begin reciting Selihot before Rosh Hashanah? Why do Ashkenazic Jews start...

Back to the Sources: Some Reflections on the War in the Galilee

| 11/08/2006

On July 25th, a Rabbinical Assembly Solidarity Mission visited the Schechter Institute and met with Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin, President...

The Contribution of Responsa Literature to the Study of Halakha, Jewish Culture and History

Prof. Shmuel Glick

| 13/06/2006

Responsa literature has its roots in the Geonic period (8th century), and it continues to be written to this very...

Prayers for the Government and the State of Israel Yom Haatzmaut 5766

| 13/05/2006

I) Introduction Throughout its long history, the Jewish people lived in many lands under many different rulers and government. As...

The “House of Jacob” at Sinai and in Our Day

“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel (Exodus 19:3).” This verse...

From Silenced Slavery to Bare Freedom: Women’s Voices at the Passover Seder

In 1975 a group of leaders of the feminist movement in the U.S., Jewish by birth but not necessarily by...

Introducing Megillat Hashoah: The Shoah Scroll Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) 2002

| 13/04/2006

I) The Jewish People’s Success in Commemorating Historic Events Through Religious Rites The Jewish people is an am olam (eternal...

The Origins of the Seder

| 11/04/2006

In memory of my teacher Prof. Saul Lieberman z”l on his 23rd Yahrzeit 9 Nissan 5766 I) Introduction There is...

Esther’s Megillah

(First published in Yediot Aharonot – Literary Supplement, Fri. March 10, 2006) The Scroll of Esther appears to have been...

The Holiday of Purim: From Salvation to Vengeance

Toward the very end of the scroll of Esther, in Ix, 24-26, the essence of the story of Purim is...

Yitro vs. Amalek: Purim 5766

| 12/03/2006

A few weeks ago we read the Torah portion of Yitro (Exodus 18), which tells the story of Moshe’s father-in-law...

Human Responses to Suffering in Rabbinic Teaching

Aharon M. Singer

| 13/02/2006

This essay approaches the problem of suffering through the study of human response rather than through a theological speculation. Better...

A Tale of Two TALI Schools

| 12/02/2006

Tu B’shvat 5766 On January 23 rd , Rabbi Dr. Eitan Chikli – the Director General of the TALI Education...

Za’akat Dalot: Halakhic Solutions for the Agunot of Our Time

Divorce

| 12/01/2006

In 1999, The Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies founded the Center for Women in Jewish Law in order to study...

Judaism, History and Eternity According to Franz Rosenzweig

| 11/01/2006

Throughout the ages Jews and Judaism have lived as a part of host civilizations. They have been in the past...

Eliezer Schweid on the Religious-Secular Rift

| 14/12/2005

Among the many Israeli ideologues and theoreticians that have examined the conflict between religious and secular Jews in Israel perhaps...

Solomon Schechter, Rivka Lipa and Jewish Women’s Studies

| 13/12/2005

In memory of Solomon Schechter on his 90th yahrzeit,12 Kislev 5766 On December 15, 2005, the Schechter Institute of Jewish...

When Should Baby Girls Be Named?

| 11/11/2005

This article began as a Hebrew responsum written on Rosh Hodesh Marheshvan 5763. I then lectured on the topic at...

Repairing the World Repairing the Soul

| 13/09/2005

Many years ago I saw an American television movie (it might have been a mini-series; I forgot the name), which...

Do “Repentance, Prayer and Tzedakah Avert the Severe Decree”?

| 13/09/2005

Last September, I explained one difficult word – kivinumeron – in the High Holiday poem Unetane Tokef (Insight Israel ,...

The Disengagement Plan from a Historical-Philosophical Perspective

| 13/08/2005

It is only on rare occasions that individuals sense the movement of history beneath their feet. Usually, such a feeling...

Standing up for Rights: Daughters of Zelophehad

Two cases of women standing up for their rights in Israel caught my attention this week. A group of ultra-Orthodox...

The Jewish Attitude Towards Non-Violent Protest and Civil Disobedience

| 11/07/2005

During the past twenty-five years, Israel has experienced a number of periods of civil unrest, including the evacuation from Sinai...

Moses and the Demands of Leadership

After a long hiatus, Parashat Beha’alotekha marks the resumption of the narrative of Israel’s desert sojourn, detailing a series of...

On Turning Fifty

| 11/06/2005

The Jewish Attitude Towards Birthdays (This section is based on Alexander Kohut, Sefer Arukh Hashalem, Vol. 2, Vienna-New York, 1878...

Jerusalem in Jewish Law and Custom: A Preliminary Typology* In Honor of Yom Yerushalayim 28 Iyar 5765 – June 6, 2005

| 15/05/2005

Jewish literature (By “Jewish”, we mean we mean Pharasaic or Rabbinic. For Jerusalem in the Dead Sea Scrolls, see L....

Celebrating 57: Israeli Independence Day

11:00 a.m. The siren to commemorate Israel’s fallen has just sounded throughout the country. Each year, while standing at attention, ...

Where Has Matan Torah Gone?

The story of the revelation and lawgiving at Mount Sinai is clearly one of the dramatic high points in the...

The Redemption is Like The Dawn

| 15/04/2005

This week we celebrate Israel Independence Day – but the atmosphere this year is strained. There is depression which stems...

Which Came First: The Hametz or the Matzah? Prof. Moshe Benovitz

Few topics are covered as thoroughly as the Passover story in Jewish educational programs of all types: formal and informal,...

Are Jews Still Commanded to Blot Out the Memory of Amalek?

| 11/03/2005

This article is based on a Hebrew lecture given at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem on March 20, 2005....

Leading God Out of Dark Alleyways

Aharon M. Singer

| 12/02/2005

Rabbi Judah said, “The matter may be compared to the case of a king who had two sons, one an...

Returning Territories for the Sake of Peace

| 11/02/2005

On Sunday, February 20, 2005, Israel’s cabinet voted 17-5 to approve the disengagement plan, which is scheduled to be implemented...

Nature and Jewish Religion: Thoughts for Hanukkah

Most biblically ordained Jewish festivals have a double significance: they have one meaning associated with nature and another meaning associated...

The New Zionism: In Memory of Mordecai Kaplan

| 14/11/2004

The Monday night and Tuesday of this week commemorate the 21st yahrzeit of Prof. Mordecai Kaplan. Kaplan is best known...

Since the Secular [Have Transgressed] Unwittingly

Rabbi Elisha Wolfin

| 12/10/2004

The secular public waived its right to interpret Judaism and adapt it to the spirit of the times, to its...

Why do we Sit in the Sukkah?

| 11/10/2004

The holiday of Sukkot has been blessed with many beautiful laws and customs: the recitation of Hallel, Ushpizin (welcoming our...

Like Sheep or Like Soldiers? Solving a Mahzor Mystery

| 13/09/2004

This article is based on my article which appeared in Hebrew in the Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly 63 (2001),...

A Monthly Encounter with the Skekhinah

| 13/06/2004

The ritual known today as birkat hahodesh, “the blessing of the new moon”, is widely observed in synagogues throughout the...

Memorial Day for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers

Brothers and sisters of sorrow and pain! With a bowed head and in trembling before the Almighty, we gathered together...

The Passover Seder as a Key to Jewish Continuity

In comparison with the fate of many of the laws and customs associated with Jewish tradition, it appears that none...

Pesah Potpourri: On the Origin and Development of Some Lesser-Known Pesah Customs

| 13/04/2004

This article is the second in a series. For the first article, regarding Hanukkah customs, see Conservative Judaism 53/2 (Winter...

Things are Not Always as They Seem

Dr. Pnina Galpaz Feller

| 15/03/2004

Masks are a kind of veil that covers the face and hide one’s identity while at the same time highlighting...

Wanted: A “Jewish Revolution”in the State of Israel

| 12/03/2004

In memory of my father Rabbi Noah Golinkin z”l on his first yahrzeit 25 Adar 5764. He had a vision...

Forging Jewish Identity in Israel

Rabbi Dr. Harvey Meirovich

| 13/02/2004

Allow me to place my observations in context by sharing a passage written by one of Israel’s leading statesmen. Allow...

The Tenth of Tevet

Prof. Guy Miron

| 13/01/2004

The fast day of the Tenth of Tevet symbolizes symbolizes the first of a series of events which led to...

Hanukkah Exotica: On the Origin and Development of Some Hanukkah Customs*

| 13/12/2003

In memory of Ro’i Shukrun a Maccabbee of our time who was killed in action in Lebanon on 25 Av...

Second Temple Judaism and the Hannukah Story