The day plays out much the same way every year, around when summer transitions into fall.
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Long commutes are nothing new for those living in Los Angeles, but Rabbi Allison Lawton’s commute may look a little different than most.
The United Kingdom’s Prince William laid a wreath at the Yad Vashem Hall of Remembrance on Tuesday, signing the guestbook during his first official tour of the state of Israel.
A historic archaeological discovery near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount may be proof of the life of the biblical prophet Isaiah, according to an article in the Biblical Archaeology Review. A broken, eighth-century BCE clay seal impression, or bulla, appears to be inscribed with the words “Belongin…
What happens when a Christian minister and an Orthodox Jew wrestle with the most sensitive subjects, while 100,000 people eavesdrop? They discover that their faith traditions have a lot in common.
Just one week after passing a controversial law criminalizing phrases indicating Polish responsibility for crimes against Jews during the Holocaust, Poland’s ruling party has sponsored a new bill including a clause that would criminalize kosher meat slaughter. If the law is passed, anyone fo…
A crowd of more than 30 people milled about under an awning at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert last Saturday afternoon. Volunteers with Temple Emanuel of Tempe’s hiking club carefully laid out a veritable cornucopia of snacks and drinks as kids ran around.
After many long hours of fundraising and more than a year of construction work, the Phoenix Mikvah held its grand opening this past weekend. Members of the greater Phoenix community were able to tour the new state-of-the-art facility and learn more about it. Guests in attendance — most of th…
For Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish new year for trees, more than 100 Christian Zionists raised over $10,000 to plant dozens of trees in Israel’s biblical heartland. The fundraising campaign, which was spearheaded by Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder and CEO of Israel365, organized the planting of olive tre…
Most of Israel’s neighbors, including Egypt, Jordan, Syria and the Palestinian territories, are among the most dangerous places in the world for Christians, a new report by the Christian charity group Open Doors has found.
Congregation Beth Israel in Scottsdale has hired Rabbi Sara Mason-Barkin to become its new associate rabbi starting on July 1.
The Masorti (Conservative) Movement in Israel, the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, and the Women of the Wall prayer rights group brought a petition to Israel’s High Court of Justice in an effort to force the expansion of the existing egalitarian prayer section at the West…
A stamped piece of clay dating back to the First Temple period, whose inscription in ancient Hebrew states that it belonged to the “governor of the city” of Jerusalem, was recently discovered
A group of 196 North Americans landed in Israel this week on a flight chartered by the Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN) aliyah agency, bringing the total number of immigrants to the Jewish state from that continent to 3,633 this year.
Rabbi Reuven Mann’s new book, “Eternally Yours: God’s Greatest Gift To Mankind,” explores the meaning — psychological and spiritual — embedded in the second book of the Pentateuch, Exodus or Shemot.
The ruins of a 1,500-year-old church and monastery have been unearthed near the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh in an excavation led by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).
Two archaeological discoveries with highly symbolic value dating back to the ancient Jewish kingdoms of Israel were revealed just before the start of Chanukah.
A planned cable car system linking key landmarks in Jerusalem “will be yet another boost to tourism” in the capital city, Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said.
A new survey has found that millennial evangelical Christians support Israel less than older generations, a possible troubling new trend for one of Israel’s strongest and most vocal support groups in the U.S.
A total of 162 members from the Bnei Menashe Jewish community of northeast India arrived in Israel last week, marking the latest wave of so-called “lost” Jews to immigrate to the Jewish state.
Chasidic Jewish researchers claim that they have discovered the meditation cave of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, who founded the broader Chasidic movement.
A Russian-Muslim billionaire is funding an Israeli project that will digitize Jewish manuscripts that were seized by the Soviet Union a century ago and are held in the Russian State Library.
One of Jerusalem’s most iconic tourist sites is deploying futuristic technology to blend the past and the present, placing it at the vanguard of a revolution in museum experiences.
Israeli archaeologists have unveiled the results of large-scale excavations that lend unprecedented insight into the transformation of Jerusalem around the time of its destruction during the Second Temple period more than 2,000 years ago.
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.
A collection of First Temple-period seals has been discovered during excavations in Jerusalem’s City of David.
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.
Israel’s High Court of Justice has criticized the Israeli government over its stance on the issue of egalitarian prayer services at the Western Wall.
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 p…
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.
Recently, in the late afternoon, after a classic Arizona monsoon, the sun broke through the clouds just long enough for me to see a stunning double rainbow above Temple Solel. It was simply breathtaking.
It was a joyous occasion on July 27, when members of Congregation Or Tzion participated in a Torah procession to the synagogue’s new home in Scottsdale.
Forget Valentine’s Day. Jews have a romantic holiday of our own.
A poignant handwritten note proves the value of the Roving Rabbis program.
Why do the Jewish people mourn on Tisha B’Av? For some it is about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. For others, it is about historical persecution of the Jews culminating in the Holocaust. For some, it’s a personal inner day for reflection and growth.
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.
Congregation Or Tzion is holding a Torah procession as it moves to its new home in Scottsdale.
In response to the recent move by Israel’s Cabinet to freeze a government decision to expand a non-Orthodox prayer section at the Western Wall, a Valley rabbi has joined forces with another rabbi and a peace activist to lead a women’s peace mission and spirituality tour in Israel in November…
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 grappl…
Construction for the Phoenix Mikvah is in progress this summer with plans to open by Rosh Hashanah.
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 C…
A Torah created 300 years ago in the Moroccan desert has found its 21st-century home in the deserts of Arizona.
A rabbi, an evangelical pastor and an imam walk into a hotel – it sounds like the start of a joke we’ve heard a thousand times before, but this scenario is no joke.
Described as one of the most significant archaeological finds in modern Israel, the Magdala Stone, unearthed in 2009 near the shores of the Sea of Galilee, has been unveiled to the public for first time as part of a joint exhibition on the history of the menorah from May 15 to July 23 betwee…
When you’re the only full-time rabbi in a relatively small and isolated Jewish community – like that found on the Asian island of Taiwan – you’re expected to do much more than lead religious services.
In today’s climate, now is the time to reach out to other communities to share our cultures and learn about different beliefs. A little over a month ago, my mom and I were invited to an interfaith dinner at a local mosque, where we were introduced to the Islamic faith, food and what a servic…
To build a Jewish state in the Middle East, Israelis had to be innovators.
It’s not easy making Passover seder. There’s the cleaning, the cooking, the logistical and emotional challenges of hosting guests. Then there’s the cost.
Though there is no synagogue, mikvah or Jewish school in Madagascar, visitors to the African island nation can enjoy a strictly kosher meal, Shabbat services and weekly learning programs.
When people find out I’m a Jew by Choice (otherwise known as a convert), one of the first questions I get is, “Was it hard to give up Christmas?”
