A mohel performs a circumcision during a bris (or brit milah) ceremony. (Cheskel Dovid/Wikimedia CC BY 3.0) Circumcision still a volatile topic I received the following letter sent to my Mixed and Matched column at the J-weekly. Dear Dawn: I came across your response to a Jewish mother who was upset that her daughter didn’t want to circumcise…
Read More »
What is Judaism’s Belief about the Afterlife? G-d Talk with Rabbis from Across the Jewish Denominations One of the most frequently asked questions of Rabbis is “What is Judaism’s Belief about the Afterlife?” As with most Jewish beliefs, this one has many answers. Plan to attend this program and hear the panelists talk about what…
Read More »
(Image from Song of Names) The East Bay International Jewish Film Festival will run from Feb. 26 to March 15. The films are divided into 8 categories (sections) so that you can jump to Historical Dramas, Family Friendly, Mysteries, Documentaries, etc. There are some hard to find, FABULOUS films! A few of my favorites are: The…
Read More »
(Image by Deborah Breen Whiting from Pixabay) I’ve had people specifically tell me that they are visual learners and that reading is not easiest learning method. Luckily there are hundreds of films from which you can learn A LOT about Judaism. One site that is particularly fun is Rabbi at the Movies. It’s a mini course just to…
Read More »
(Image: A hamentashen bake with friends) We just observed Tu B’shvat and are now coming up on Purim. Both of these are minor holidays in the Jewish calendar. It can be tempting to say, we don’t need to do anything for them; they aren’t really that important. But pause and consider, why might they be…
Read More »
(Photo courtesy of JEMINA) The majority of Jews in America are from Eastern Europe. This population is called Ashkenazi or Askenazim and is the standard for “Jewish” in American movies, books, television and culture. The foods, music, history and languages that we experience as “Jewish” in America are Ashkenazi. However, the Jewish people originated in…
Read More »Our weekly email goes out to hundreds of interfaith couples & families in the Bay Area. Topics cover the many questions and mysteries that interfaith couples want answered.