Category: Science and Health

For most Americans, Thanksgiving morning is often associated with watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and some football games, all the while preparing the festive meal. But for the members of the historic Congregation Shearith Israel (the Spanish & Portuguese Sephardic Congregation in Manhattan), an additional feature of Thanksgiving morning is, appropriately, a religious service […]

One of the best things about Thanksgiving are the leftovers. Simply give them a makeover for the perfect Shabbat meal.  For instance, your traditional Thanksgiving cranberry sauce can become the star of Shabbat. “Cranberry sauce makes a delightful dressing for salmon or chicken, bringing a festive twist to your meal,” Aderet Dana Hoch, registered dietitian […]

During their Nov. 14 meeting, the UC Board of Regents discussed the report published in October by the Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Bias at UCLA, calling the findings “deeply troubling.” As previously reported by the Journal, the report found that 75% of Jewish students, faculty, administrators and staff believe that the “antisemitism […]

Altruism is not a given; many have argued against it. Social Darwinists, inspired by the theory of evolution, argued against helping the poor. Charity, they maintained, runs counter to the “survival of the fittest.”  Helping the weakest in society would only undermine progress by allowing the unfit to procreate. Ayn Rand attacked altruism as collectivism […]

      Life Torn and Sewn Together (comments on Torah Portion Chayei Sarah) 2024 Comments on Torah portion Chayyei Sarah (adapted from previous versions)   Pain, regret, hurt, and betrayal form part of the backdrop of the book of Genesis. Those tragic moments often produce visions of God and the appearance of angels. Sometimes […]

These are stressful times here in Israel. War on two fronts, soldiers killed almost daily, 101 hostages still in Gaza, nonstop sirens and barrages of rockets, thousands still displaced from their homes, deep political divisions, no tourism, economic uncertainty. Trauma, PTSD and depression are widespread. Despite all resilient efforts for the semblance of a normal […]

Simon Rutberg hadn’t set foot on Fairfax Blvd in years. In fact, it’s been nearly two decades since he closed his record store there in 2006. The memories are too painful and there are too many of them.  In a way, he grew up on this street. As a child, he would go shopping with […]

Students at UC Berkeley were taken aback by the announcement of a new class set to begin in Spring 2025. The class, English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature, was to be taught by instructors Christian Gonzalez Reyes and Harry Mizumoto and included the following description: “With the US-backed and funded genocide […]

Is Israel good or bad? Are Jews good or bad? These are not rhetorical questions. For the average person who sees all the hatred directed at Jews and Israel on college campuses and around the world, it’s a natural question. After all, how good could Jews and Israel be if there’s so much hatred directed […]