Sandra Samuel carries Moshe Holtzberg out of the Chabad House in Mumbai. According to the latest issue of Chabad’s TheJewishWoman.org magazine, Sandra Samuel is a hero. Of course, this is not news to all of us. Still, “Sandra Samuel: A Heroine in Mumbai” is a brutally lovely piece about one woman’s courage in saving Moshe,… Continue reading Sandra Samuel is a Worldwide Hero not just in Mumbai
Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and Rivkah Holtzberg What does one say about these sorts of things? I’ve never been particularly articulate at moments like these. Before Shabbos, most Jews around the world were praying for the rabbi and his wife in Mumbai. And then, we were stunned by news that this very young couple had… Continue reading Final word on Mumbai
I woke up today worried that the most terrible thing I would have to deal with was overeating. Instead, over a bowl of Cheerios, my eyes still fuzzy with sleep, my husband informed me that a Chabad house in Mumbai had been taken hostage. UPDATE: Jewish Child Safe in Hostage Crisis at Mumbai Chabad House… Continue reading Attack in Mumbai
Samantha Ronson and Lindsay Lohan Rumors abound in “Lindsay Lohan Converting to Judaism for Sam Ronson”. Don’t worry if you have no idea who either of these people are!
Rabbi Capers Funnye Michelle Obama’s cousin, Rabbi Capers Funnye was profiled by the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles in a piece called “Obama’s cousin-in-law Rabbi Capers Funnye battles to open the gates of Judaism”. Funnye himself has had several conversions to Judaism and he speaks of schooling prospective converts to Judaism on the faith. “I… Continue reading Obama’s Cousin-in-law talks Judaism
An article in the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, “Angeleno pushes effort on recognizing conversions” demystifies the force behind a recent resolution on conversion proposed by the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). At the heart of the decision is a Los Angeles Jewish convert, Lorin Fife, who hopes to bring “the conversion process back to… Continue reading Los Angeles Convert Moves for Acceptance
Ania Bukstein in “The Secrets.” “The Secrets” is an Israeli movie about an Orthodox rabbi’s daughter who wants to become a rabbi in her own right. The film threatens to push the cultural envelope. Watch the trailer here.
My article about Modern Orthodox conversion just hit the Jerusalem Post. Check it out! It’s called “100% Kosher”.
A letter to the Jerusalem Post‘s Aliyah expert confirms my worst fears about the state of Modern Orthodox conversion and relations with the Israeli rabbinate. “Q: I recently converted in the United States via a modern orthodox rabbi. Although both my husband (who is Jewish) and I would love to live in Israel, I am… Continue reading Rumors of Our Progress Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
A personal essay in the Jerusalem Post, Uncomfortably Jewish in the Deep South, mentions conversion briefly but it brings up a good point. Some Jews who see Judaism as a “Ashkenazi ethnicity” have a hard time understanding those of us who buy into Judaism as a religion to which we can, literally, convert. Snippet from… Continue reading Poof, you’re Jewish!
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 