Rabbis talk of freedom amidst persecution during their youth For more than 200 years in Chabad-Lubavitch communities around the world—in the best of circumstances and the worst—these early winter days have been dedicated to preparing for the Chassidic holiday of Yud Tes Kislev, the 19th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev (which in 2019 […]
‘Putin’s rabbi’ says challenging governments is not Jewish
Berel Lazar, one of Russia’s chief rabbis, stands by his strongman, aka President Vladimir Putin MOSCOW (JTA) – Rabbi Berel Lazar’s mother was eager for grandchildren. So she gave her 25-year-old son an ultimatum: He could return to his beloved Jewish outreach work in Russia if — and only if — he got married. His […]
How the Chanukah Menorah Made Its Way to the Public Sphere
Through the years and the courts, a small spark in Philadelphia now lights up the world It was a frigid Saturday night during Chanukah of 1974, when Rabbi Abraham Shemtov had the unusual, perhaps wild, idea of lighting a menorah right in front of Independence Hall, which houses the Liberty Bell, the icon of American […]