Jewish Religion and Thought
“This may be the first time that a seal has been discovered in the entire world with an engraving of the precious and famous plant,” says archaeologist Eli Shukron.
A teacher and expert in Jewish law, Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz left an enduring mark on ultra-Orthodox Jewish thought and culture.
“We have shown that the Protection of Holy Places Law also applies to Jews,” says Rabbi Aryeh Lippo, who appealed the police ban on his visits to the holy site.
He was considered one of the great Jewish ethicists, lecturing and writing on Jewish law and medicine. He covered such subjects as the Human Genome Project, neonatal salvage, the use of mood-modifying drugs, stem-cell research, organ donation and experimental treatments on human beings.
More than 200 observant volunteers and professionals, coordinators and organizers from the United States and Israel donated their time to have photos taken that will be available for download as stock images.
Authorities warned that if crowding becomes too great, access to Jerusalem’s Old City and the Temple Mount Plaza itself will be barred.
Disability advocates urge Jewish communal leaders not to overlook accessibility during High Holidays
Many in the field are concerned that when it comes to synagogue services and other religious requisites, the wide-ranging needs of this population may not be adequately met, particularly as the pandemic continues in many places.
“What we will accomplish simply by marking the occasion to the degree that we are … we are showing we don’t forget, and that this was a very significant event,” says Rabbi Jonathan Glass. “Just because it’s 20 years later, it doesn’t become relegated to the dustbin of history.”
“On this day, I am strong enough to rid myself of some unbecoming things I’ve picked up on the road and return home, picking up some beautiful mitzvahs along the way. On this day, I will experience not so much atonement as at-one-ment, returning to the One who sees and embraces me for who I am,” says Rabbi Tzvi Freeman.
Where there were once 150 synagogues in Budapest, there are now fewer than two dozen; however, efforts in the past decade to foster a resurgence in Jewish life have proven successful.
The musical Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur evening and daytime prayer services are celebrating their 10th consecutive year.
In-person or online? Indoors or outdoors? Once poised for a renaissance this year, synagogues nationwide are facing renewed questions as COVID-19 cases surge.
