Religious Life

For many Jews, the High Holiday period is a time of deep observance and self-reflection, but for an increasingly large share of American Jewry, the holidays also bring a new set of challenges that go to the very core of one’s faith.

When Temple Chai Executive Director Joe Miller first heard of the proposal to turn the synagogue into a part-time homeless shelter, he was more than a little skeptical.

For rabbis, it’s their annual golden opportunity to reach a much larger audience than usual. For members of a congregation, they can be either enlightening or entertaining highlights of the services, or dreary and sometimes infuriating sessions. In any scenario, there’s no better barometer of the state of American Jewish life than the controversies that inevitably attach themselves to High Holiday sermons.

Israel’s cabinet has approved the construction of the “Gospel Trail” cable car that, when completed, will run between Upper Nazareth and the lower slopes of Mount Tabor in order to enhance access to Christian tourist sites in the area.

Parshah Nitzavim-Vayelech, Deuteronomy 29:9–31:30

Grandparents, parents, children and other family and friends are invited to party like it’s 5778 at the Valley of the Sun JCC’s (The J) first Rosh Hashanah New Year’s Eve party.

Travel between India and Israel is on the rise in the aftermath of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to the Jewish state in July, according to the Israeli Tourism Ministry.

In a move that may further ignite tensions between Israel and Diaspora Jewry, the Reform and Conservative movements say they no longer agree with having an upgraded platform for egalitarian prayer just south of the Western Wall Plaza. They insist on getting a designated section in the main prayer area.

Ateam of Israeli, Lithuanian and American archaeologists has unearthed the remains of two mikvahs used by congregants at the Great Synagogue in Vilna, which is the modern-day capital of Lithuania.

With summer almost over and the Jewish New Year less than a month away, many Valley Jews will be reconnecting with their synagogues, some of which are welcoming new clergy and saying goodbye to others.

New data obtained by Israel Hayom analyzes the rising number of tourists arriving in the Jewish state, including visitors’ age, religion and the nature of their trips.

Parshot Eikev, Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25

Forget Valentine’s Day. Jews have a romantic holiday of our own.

A poignant handwritten note proves the value of the Roving Rabbis program.

Parshot Devarim, Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22

Ten ancient jugs unearthed at the Samaria site of the ancient city of Shiloh could lead researchers to new discoveries about the Jewish tabernacle that existed there before the First Temple was built in Jerusalem.

Parshat Pinchas, Numbers 25:10-30:1

I have attended countless Jewish leadership conferences. In many instances, I have even been on the steering committees responsible for the selection of a theme, the development of programming, wrangling speakers and overall logistical planning. Those responsible for scheduling always grapple with the same question: What do we do about Shabbat?

Construction for the Phoenix Mikvah is in progress this summer with plans to open by Rosh Hashanah.

Valley Beit Midrash (VBM) has announced the third cohort for its Start Me Up! fellowship program, which encourages Jewish social entrepreneurs up to age 45 to bring innovative ideas to the Valley’s Jewish community.

I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. There I was, an Orthodox Israeli Jew, at a 500-year-old synagogue in Marrakesh, distributing food parcels to Muslims for Ramadan, representing the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) on behalf of millions of Christians in the U.S. and worldwide.

Numbers 16:1–17:15

What is the primary approach judges should take? In this week’s Torah portion, we learn about the nature of the Sanhedrin and its role in ensuring keen justice for the Jewish people. Indeed, compared to systems of justice that only seek retribution over rehabilitation, Judaism takes a more utilitarian approach. Further, Judaism offers a novel approach; that arguing that compromise is the approach of the wise.

SUNDAY, MAY 28