Tzara‘at and Tikkun Olam: The Nexus The weekly Torah portions Tazria‘ and Metzora‘ deal with the appearance of tzara’at, a skin affliction, with its various physiological symptoms, from its diagnosis through the affected person’s isolation to the patient’s full purification and return to normal life. Even back then, in the time of the Rabbis, it […]
BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – DISPELLING MYTHS – VOICES – STORIES The unprecedented Iranian attack against Israel on April 13 terrorized the entire nation – proving that the Islamic Republic is dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of the Jewish people. Iran launched more than 300 drones, rockets and […]
by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD Dr. Micah Goodman — a distinguished author and research fellow at Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem — said, in mid-October 2023, “I’m asking the lovers of Israel to make a neder now. To make a neder, to make a vow that, weeks and months from now, you will stand with […]
Pesach is full of customs, foods and symbols that encourage us to remember and commemorate the Exodus from Egypt for generations. This year, when we sit down by the Seder table and praise Hashem for releasing us from Egypt and redeeming us, as we pour another glass of wine and leave a place for Eliyahu […]
Masorti and MERCAZ Olami are shocked and vehemently condemn Iran’s recent missile and drone attacks on Israel. As we pray for the safety of everyone impacted and the healing of those injured, we express our strong unequivocal support for the State of Israel, its people and its right to defend itself. We thank our ally […]
In the morning … every morning … we stand and recite: “Blessed are You, Adonay, our God, Sovereign of the world, who releases captives.” Every morning, in the “verses of song” mood-setting passages from Psalms we recite Psalm 146 which includes the verse: “Who secures justice for those who are wronged, nourishes the hungry. God […]
BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES A decades-long history of boycotts against Israel are intended to block all support of Israel, destroy the Jewish state and intimidate Jews. Two important studies reveal an “extraordinarily high correlation” between BDS activities on university campuses and anti-Jewish hatred and that faculty-support for BDS fuels anti-Jewish hostility. The […]
by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD In a statement issued Tuesday evening, April 4, President Joe Biden said he was “outraged and heartbroken” by the killings of seven humanitarian workers from World Central Kitchen, one of whom was a dual-American national. This is an appropriate response to a wartime tragedy with the loss of humanitarian aid […]
BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – STORIES At the six-month mark, Hamas continues to violate international law. Many across America and around the world seem to forget the simple fact that the basic tenet of Hamas is to destroy Israel and murder Jews worldwide – driving its ongoing campaign of violence and bloodshed. World […]
This article was provided by The Masorti Foundation and published on Friday, March 29, 2024 During the Purim period, we gathered twice in Hostage Square, to stand alongside the families of the hostages and express our hope that all would “be reversed”, as in the Purim story. On the Fast of Esther (last Thursday), we […]