I co-wrote an article with Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu of the Kollel in Vancouver. It’s part of an “Ask the Rabbi” column in the Jewish Independent in B.C. Canada.
I heard it’s considered “brilliant” so I hope you’ll give it a try!
Use the soul to discover faith
Archive for the ‘Assimilation’ Category
Am I Jewish if I don’t believe in God? What does it mean to believe?
Posted in Assimilation, Deena Levenstein, Guest writer, Spirituality, Terminology, tagged ask the rabbi, emunah, faith, G-d, god, jewish, judaism, judaism and faith on September 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Netanyahu accentuated that Herzl was traditional
Posted in Anti-Semitism, Assimilation, Deena Levenstein, israel, tagged judaism, israel, netanyahu, bibi, israeli prime minister, herzl, herzl day, zionism, unaffiliated jews on August 7, 2009 | 2 Comments »
I just read such an interesting, informative, and even touching speech by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu about Benjamin Ze’ev Herzl’s Jewish identity.
It is quite worth while reading the whole speech. He speaks about how there is a widely accepted idea that Herzl, the father of Zionism, was an unaffiliated Jew. Netanyahu brings proof to show [...]
Why be a Jew?
Posted in Assimilation, Michael T. Pullen, Tradition and customs, tagged being Jewish, frum, Hillel, Shammai on May 28, 2009 | 7 Comments »
Why be a Jew? Or better yet, why do Jewish things?
Saturday is my Bar Mitzvah. Today I am feeling a bit disturbed. This happens every once in a while but today it stinks because I should be happy about my weekend coming up.
Should one follow the lineage of Hillel or Shammai? Should one follow the majority which the [...]
Jewish Journey: Mitzvot
Posted in Assimilation, Family, Michael T. Pullen, Mitzvot/Mitzvas, Relationships, Tradition and customs, tagged doing good, halacha, jewish, Jewish Journey, Mitzvah, mitzvot on March 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
This is part IV. Read: Part I, part II, part III.
Ah now I am Jewish, all the hard stuff is behind me right? All I have to do is continue on living the way I have always been living? What changed? One day I was a goy the next a Jew. You cannot tell me [...]
No need to sacrifice ideals
Posted in Assimilation, Contemporary, Deena Levenstein, Tradition and customs, tagged boxing, Dmitriy Salita, jewish boxer, judaism, sacrificing ideals, torah on March 26, 2009 | 7 Comments »
I always hear people giving explanations for why they don’t fully keep certain Torah/Jewish laws. But from growing up in an Orthodox home, I know for a fact that you can keep everything if you so choose. When someone is not yet ready to fully keep Shabbat, then the reason (like, I need to work [...]
