Purim 2010 (5770) begins Saturday night and it’s a serious party. Think socially responsible Mardi Gras and you begin to get the picture. Costumes, food, drinking – yes, that kind and lot’s of it, are all part of the tradition. Thank God! And so is remembering our own vulnerability, a lesson in how to raise…

This from a statement released by Agudath Israel of America, shared with me late yesterday: Rabbi Avi Weiss has conferred “semikha” upon a woman, has made her an Assistant Rabbi at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale where she carries out certain traditional rabbinical functions, and has now given her the title of “Rabbah” (formerly “Maharat”).…

Apparently, Abe Foxman called Andrew Sullivan an anti-Semite in his remarks to the Jewish Council on Public Affairs’ national meeting. I say “apparently” because neither I nor anyone else can confirm the veracity of the twitter feed from the meeting which carried the quote. Of course, nobody will deny its accuracy either. That’s bad. Andrew…

Although the title, Fresh Fruit and Vintage Wine suggests a cook book, this new anthology of ancient rabbinic wisdom, accompanied by an analysis from Rabbi Yitzchak Blau is actually a recipe for life. As Blau states in the preface to his book, “the wisdom that matters most is the wisdom that teaches us how to…

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