The quest to understand the rationale that underlies the mitzvoth assumes that we should strive to articulate the spiritual messages of the halakha. By affirming our commitment to those laws whose reasons we may find personally or ethically challenging, we ensure that the Torah is, in fact, the source of our value system, and not simply an ancient text that validates the contemporary zeitgeist.
Stephen Neuwirth passed away in January 2023 and we remember him with great affection and respect. He was a board member and major supporter of our Institute since its inception in 2007. He was a well-respected attorney, a community leader, philanthropist…a really fine human being. His wife Nataly and their four sons were the center of Steve’s life and were the sources of his greatest happiness and fulfillment.
On Monday, February 10, Rabbi Hayyim Angel begins a new trimester at the Beit Midrash of Teaneck.
We will begin this trimester (which runs through April 2) with surveys of the Books of Proverbs, Job, and Daniel, and then move into an in-depth learning exploration of Bereshit-Genesis.
Classes are free and open to the public. Sponsorship opportunities also are available.
Rabbi Hayyim Angel's classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 12:00-12:45 pm EST.
You may attend live at the Jewish Center of Teaneck: 70 Sterling Place, Teaneck, New Jersey.
Rabbi Zvi Grumet writes and teaches like a High School Yeshiva rebbe, unflinchingly focusing on the received Torah’s text and message[s], as lucidly and probingly as he can, so that his student/reader may understand his content and internalize the Torah’s normative message.
SCROLL OF HONOR
If we are to have peace between Israel and the Palestinians (and the rest of the Arab world), it would be most helpful if people understood the historic context of the conflict. Misguided individuals and countries who forget history, who ignore or deny Israel's rights, who look the other way when Israel is maligned and attacked--such people are part of the problem, not the solution.
Zina Schiff, a concert violinist, has performed and recorded on five continents. Her first recording was the solo violin score for MGM's The Fixer, and a major focus of her 16 CDs is classical Jewish music. This article appears in issue 28 of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. It was reprinted in issue 35 of Conversations.
When confronting those who wish to harm us, we need to offer words of peace and understanding. We need to seek to defuse antagonism by engaging in reasonable conversation. But at the same time, we need to be strong and courageous. We need the antagonists to know that we are ready and able to defend ourselves.
The Holocaust shows how low humanity can sink. It is an eternal warning to all people to promote love, tolerance, mutual respect. It's not just about Jews; it's about all humanity. Wake up! See what is at stake! Never again means never again...ever! We post this article in connection with Holocaust Memorial Day, January 27, 2025.
Marc B. Shapiro's books and articles are always superb. His presentation of scholarly ideas and religious and secular practices, ancient and modern, Jewish and non-Jewish, is explained engagingly. “Renewing the Old Sanctifying the New: The Unique Vision of Rav Kook” is such a book.