Check out this Haggadah I made for couples.

I made this Haggadah to highlight lessons from the Passover seder that can create thoughtful conversation about personal growth as well as growth in a relationship.   Passover Haggadah for Honeymoon Israel

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Washington Post: To wear, or not to wear? French Jews wrestle with the yarmulke amid growing fears

By Elizabeth Bryant | Religion News Service January 13 at 3:59 PM PARIS — Claude Chiche doesn’t wear a skullcap, but he has strong opinions about them. “There are some here want to take off their kippah because they’re afraid,” said Tunisian-born Chiche, referring to the Hebrew word for yarmulke or skullcap. “But they shouldn’t accept this; […]

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Coloring isn’t a Jewish issue but creativity, relaxation, and decreasing negative thoughts definitely are Jewish thoughts.

Coloring isn’t a Jewish issue but creativity, relaxation, and decreasing negative thoughts definitely are Jewish thoughts. This aritcle from Higher Perspective shares 7 benefits. 1. You improve your concentration. We live in a hectic world these days. Our concentration is often incredibly split between work, home, electronics, and other stimuli. When you sit down and […]

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Why are rabbis encouraging family estrangement and why are parents listening?

Having personally witnessed this, my feeling is that it never helps and always damages. A great piece by Sharon Shapiro. One bad apple spoils the whole bunch. This seems to be the philosophy behind why some rabbis advise parents to kick out a deviant child, cutting off all contact, except for the most delicate thread […]

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9 months after the Gaza War, a baby boom hits Israel. Experts disagree if it’s from soldiers returning from war or from people being forced to spend time together during missile attacks.

Interesting article from The Forward. When Jessica Zimet gave birth to her daughter Aviah in April, the Tel Aviv hospital was so crowded, she said, that she was rushed out of the delivery room to make space for the next expectant mother. Born nine months after the start of Operation Protective Edge, Aviah was part […]

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This bothers me to no end!

Reform Jews can die for Israel, but not all would be buried as JewsAfter another round of insults from ultra-Orthodox Israeli politicians, Diaspora leaders and Israeli MKs defend Liberal Judaism, saying ‘a Jew is a Jew.’ But freedom of religion activists say that’s not enoughBY AMANDA BORSCHEL-DAN July 8, 2015, 4:58 pm 63 At age […]

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Struggling with depression? Learning more, praying more, or working on your relationship with God may not be enough. Seek professional help as well.

Minaa B. talks about her experience of struggling with depression within the church and trying to fix it by becoming closer to God. This isn’t limited to just the church but happens in the Jewish world as well. I experienced it myself while in yeshiva. Religion and God can enrich a person’s life but it […]

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Once again Eliyahu Fink nails it. The greater concern is not the questionable behavior of one individual but the mentality that allows it to happen. Rabbis deserve respect but not silence in face of questionable behavior. A new day has dawned that we need to find a balance between k’vod harav, rabbinical respect, and k’vod habriyot, respect of individuals.

Sometimes a trailblazer attempts to level criticism at someone or something within the Orthodox Jewish community. That hero is too often scorned. “He has an agenda.” (Of course he does! His agenda is to make Orthodox Judaism better!) “Who is she to criticize?!” (A very brave person!) “But there’s so much good in the community! […]

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How could all of these institutions allow this rabbi’s behavior to continue for so many years? Rabbi Marc Angel – “if people tolerate problematic behavior, they become accomplices.” It’s our obligation to speak up and say something if we see something.

Another Rabbinic Scandal and How to Prevent the Next One: a blog by Rabbi Marc D. Angel Monday, June 1 2015 With profound sadness I (and so many others) read a full page article in the Sunday New York Times (May 31, 2015) dealing with the bizarre behavior of a prominent Modern Orthodox rabbi. This […]

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Rich Jew, Poor Jew. New Jew, NY Jew. What the new findings in the Pew study tells us.

1 in 6 Jews are new to Judaism – and 9 other new Pew findings By Uriel HeilmanMay 12, 2015 12:02am Some 90 percent of Jews are white, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. (David Polonsky) NEW YORK (JTA) – The Pew Research Center’s newly released 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study […]

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