Nazir 51

Is a fetus a part of the pregnant person or an independent entity? How we answer this question has important implications — morally, legally and ritually. Most of us are used to hearing this question asked in the context of modern abortion debates. But the rabbis of the Talmud also asked, and answered, this very question in another […]

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Haifa lab develops biological defibrillator to treat irregular heartbeat

Defibrillators that can shock a patient’s heart into restarting with an electric shock are finally appearing on walls around the country. But there is such a thing as a biological defibrillator to deal with irregular heartbeat (arrythmia).  Researchers at the Rambam Healthcare Campus and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa have succeeded for the […]

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Are Meat Substitutes Kosher for Passover?

Given the restrictions on eating hametz (leavened grains) on Passover, many Jews fall back on a meat-and-potatoes diet for the duration of the holiday. Barred from eating the products of five forbidden grains — wheat, spelt, oats, rye and barley — and with additional restrictions on grain-like foods (kitniyot) observed by many Ashkenazi Jews, Passover […]

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The Jewish History of Sweet’N Low

In 1957, the robust post-war economy and the rise of convenience food mass production paved the way for the widespread availability of sugar and sugary treats. No more did you have to ration cubes for your coffee or rely on grandma to bake your brownies.   But accompanying this sugar rush was the baby boomers’ (particularly […]

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