Odds & Ends

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBSAfter a kosher-certifying agency deemed quinoa, the South American grain-like seed, Passover-compliant, it’s become a darling of the Passover table. But now rabbis are having doubts.By Leah Koenig - April 13, 2011 Leah Koenig is the author of The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook.Quinoa. In 1999, a humble South American foodstuff took an unlikely seat at the Passover table. The Star-K, one of the country’s leading kosher certifying agencies, proclaimed quinoa—the starchy seed that is a darling of natural food lovers—to be kosher for Passover. Despite its fluffy, grain-like appearance, quinoa was designated a member of the goosefoot species, a cousin to beets, and completely unrelated to the five forbidden chametz grains: wheat, spelt, oats, rye, and barley. Furthermore, the Star-K deemed quinoa not kitniyot (literally…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBS Jubanos: The Jews of Cuba Director & Producer: Milos S. Silber. 43 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles and some short commercial spots. Brazilian-born filmmaker Milos Silber of New York took the film award for "Jubanos: The Jews of Cuba." This independent documentary, now set for international distribution, tells the history of Jews on the island nation before and after the advent of communism. Cuba is known for its revolutionary leaders, communism, cigars, and 50s cars. However, religion does not define this small island. When the Cuban Revolution hit in 1961, religion was banned, leaving the Cuban Jewish Community struggling to sustain itself for nearly three decades. JUBANOS: THE JEWS OF CUBA, tells the humbling story of the 1500 Jews who remained in…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBS Bialik and Kipling, but no God: How kibbutz pioneers marked Rosh Hashanah A small institute in northern Israel, set up by Ben-Gurion’s nephew, preserves the kibbutz movement’s effort to build a new, secular Judaism. It may still have something to offer those looking for a Jewish culture outside the synagogue today By Matti Friedman September 16, 2012, 11:14 am A Rosh Hashanah card from the 1940s. The text reads: "Happy New Year -- A Year of the Development of New Settlements" (Courtesy of the Kibbutz Institute for Holidays and Jewish Culture)Carefully catalogued in a room on a kibbutz in northern Israel are thousands of prayers, songs, poems and plays that cover the better part of a century of Jewish holiday celebrations but are…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBS Charles Tegart and the forts that tower over Israel 9 September 2012 By Kevin Connolly BBC News, Jerusalem Palestine 1938: Tegart steps out of his car When the British sought to quell unrest in Palestine in the 1930s, they turned to an uncompromising Irish policeman, who came up with a drastic and expensive solution - a network of fortresses that today stand as monuments to a lost empire. They don't make policemen like Sir Charles Augustus Tegart any more. That's partly because they don't need to - Sir Charles was a colonial officer whose job was to keep the Union Flag flying over Britain's far-flung imperial territories. But it's also because he was a man of his time, impossible to imagine in a…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBSJewishEncyclopedia.comThe unedited full-text of the 1906 Jewish EncyclopediaThis website contains the complete contents of the 12-volume Jewish Encyclopedia, which was originally published between 1901-1906. The Jewish Encyclopedia, which recently became part of the public domain, contains over 15,000 fully indexed articles and illustrations. This online version contains the unedited contents of the original encyclopedia. Since the original work was completed over 100 years ago, it does not cover a significant portion of modern Jewish History (e.g., the creation of Israel, the Holocaust, etc.). However, it does contain an incredible amount of information that is remarkably relevant today. I. HISTORY, BIOGRAPHY, AND SOCIOLOGY. Jews in America. Jews in Russia. II. LITERATURE. Bible. Hellenistic Literature. Talmud. Rabbinical Literature. History of Literature. Hebrew Philology. Jewish Bibliography. III.…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBSThe Swedish rescuer, born 100 years ago Saturday, was the ideal the Western world would like to have lived up to during those dreadful war years. More than an icon of the Holocaust, he exemplifies the standard of humane behavior to which the Western world aspires The Times of Israel - August 3, 2012By Dr. Robert Rozett, Director of the Yad Vashem Libraries. JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Swedish rescuer Raoul Wallenberg was born 100 years ago this summer, and his centennial is being commemorated with events in many cities across Europe and North America. On June 26, a symposium in his memory was held at Yad Vashem’s International Institute for Holocaust Research in Jerusalem. Wallenberg, whose birth date is Aug. 4, 1912, is one…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBSSchools want to drop out of USCJ by Dan Ab [➚] Thursday, July 26, 2012 Back in June, the leaders of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism tried to defund3 their college program, Koach. While the USCJ board delayed this step4, it seems like USCJ is still trying to separate from non-synagogue programs. The Schechter Day School Network, the coordinating organization for Conservative day schools, is under the USCJ umbrella and is considering leaving. Barely a year ago, they spent $240,000 on a name change and tagline,5 but the network and the school system it supports are not doing well. As a response to losing schools and students, The Forward reported that6 they are deciding whether to keep their small staff as part of…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBS The little things I’ll miss about Israel June 27, 2012 Alli Magidsohn is, was, and always will be -- except for the flesh part, n' stuff… [More]. She's a writer, among other things, looking forward to what awaits her in the next chapter. I always had a sense that I’d come up against a seven-year itch; and lo and behold, after 93 months in these parts, I’m packing up shop and heading back home to Los Angeles to open a new chapter. Naturally, there are plenty of aspects about life in Israel I’m happy to leave behind, but on the flip-side, there are so many little things about this place I’ll miss once I’m gone… Vegetables for breakfast. The “everything is possible” attitude.…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBS. In memory of an Israeli giant, Yitzhak Shamir 1915-2012.Latma present the tale of the Dour Old Man, we should be blessed with many of them.