Jewish Action spoke with Rabbi Nir Koren, rabbi of the main Jewish community in Ecuador, and Rabbi Shoshan Ghoori, OU director of international relations, Latin America, to find out why a little-known Jewish community is experiencing a religious renaissance.
His Torah and teaching are being learned mainly without exposure to the force of his personality, which itself left such an indelible impression; without his sense of humor; without the intensity of his passion. Of course, we learned from the Rav’s Torah, but being exposed to his own persona was a limud in itself.
The shofar, a cry beyond words, a mitzvah which consists of the very breath of man, expresses that which ultimately cannot be expressed by us in words but is all the more meaningful.
In the essays that follow, we pay tribute to the powerful and enduring influence of our mothers.
[My mother] taught me that there is a flavor, a warmth, to mitzvot. I learned from her the most important thing in life—to feel the presence of the Almighty and the gentle pressure of His hand resting upon my frail shoulders.
“A convert is Jewish now and part of the community. Treat them as Jews and love them as anyone else.”
We must raise our sensitivity in reaching out to the converts in our midst with compassion and love and making them feel completely accepted.
“No one tells you that when you become Orthodox, you suddenly have a whole family around you.”
She took her baby home with one question for God. “You gave me this child; what is my mission? Let me see the purpose while I’m alive.”
“Have you considered fertility preservation?” she asked. “Because you should do it. Now.”
The hallmark of a Jew should be expressing hakarat hatov on a regular basis, and if we fail to do this for the teachers who work so hard to educate our children, we undermine one of the basic purposes of a Jewish education.
In her new cookbook, Millennial Kosher (ArtScroll), Chanie Apfelbaum embodies her passion for new food for a new generation, featuring traditional Jewish dishes reinvented for the modern palate. Influenced by international cultural cuisine, her cookbook incorporates bold flavors and spices, using fresh seasonal ingredients and fewer processed foods.
The layers that have been added continue to develop. Irrespective of who fasts or for how long, this custom is a testament to the respect the Jewish people afford a sefer Torah.
While reading this suspenseful novel, one cannot help but wonder where Dr. Ganchrow begins and Rob Savarin ends.
Moe’s courageous story and personal advice is a superb and inspiring guide not only for stutterers, but for anyone who faces a personal social challenge.
I am deeply moved by what Rabbi Shulman has done through reflecting upon and writing poetry inspired by the teachings of Rav Kook, and I hope this work inspires others to do the same.
Several members of his family were there when I got to his house. “Please blow the shofar quietly,” they cautioned me, as soon as I stepped in. “He hasn’t been very responsive in the last few days, and you mustn’t startle him.”