Sublime

the Judeo-Christian imprint on human rights in the present is vital for correcting much secularist religion bashing.

Hatred and persecution of Jews goes back to biblical times. It was continued by the Greeks and Romans. It found a special place in Christian theology.

Still another custom is to bake “Mount Sinai cakes”—honey cakes filled with almonds and raisins—to fulfill the dictum: “Taste and see that God is good” (Psalms 34:9).

I like that the language of Torah is vague enough, capacious enough, pregnant enough as to offer us two readings which contradict each other in every conceivable way, and are nevertheless both technically correct. For what is this Torah supposed to be, if not infinite?

Mimouna (named for a Moroccan-Jewish post-Passover celebration),

For this reason, the Hanukkah version of antisemitism often employs Jews as its agents. It requires not dead Jews but cool Jews: those willing to give up whatever specific aspect of Jewish civilization is currently uncool. Of course, Judaism has always been uncool, going back to its origins as the planet’s only monotheism, featuring a bossy and uns

Jews in America are yearning for someone to show them the way into the meaning and deeper beauty of our tradition.

finally, a community that believes—but I mean really, really believes—that Torah has a contribution to make to the redemption of the world, and that ultimately the world will not be redeemed without Torah.