Judeo Talk

Elijah and the Jewish View of Salvation

There is an old phrase from the midrashic tradition of Jewish storytelling that goes, "When the Messiah comes all prayers will be abolished except one: The prayer of gratitude". In order to understand the true gravity of this sentiment, one must first understand the Jewish version of the messianic age and the purpose of prayer in Judaism. This takes some study, as the most pervasive philosophy of a Messiah and the function of prayer in Western religion differs from Jewish theology greatly.

Jewish Nobel Laureates

Jewish culture has always highly valued education and thus professions that rely on mental prowess. This is why such a significant fraction of all the people to win the Nobel Prize have come from Jewish backgrounds. There are many Jewish Nobel Laureates in every category of the prize, great contributors to global society who have stood as shining examples of their people. There are certainly too many Jewish Nobel Laureates to feature in this article, but here are a few of the most notable among them.

The Politics of Judaism

This week in the United States is Election Week, the time when people in all 50 states cast their votes for issues and representatives at the local, state and national levels. There is often a great social weight to the decisions we as citizens make each November, which means that everyone of voting age is asked to consider his or her own social philosophy. For many, this boils down to a series of moral choices. When issues like health care are on the ballot, the way we feel about social responsibility definitely factors into the decision. For Jews we have to ask ourselves what our faith's philosophy says regarding the issues of our time. If our writings don't directly address these topics (as they often don't given how old many of them are), we have to extrapolate answers based on the spirit of the law rather than the letter. So, what is the Jewish perspective on the hot-button issues facing Americans in November 2010?

Young Jewish Professional Events

Jewish culture is all about community, though in the modern day it has had trouble accounting for demographics that mostly didn't exist before the 20th century. While Jewish organizations like synagogues, community centers and college campus Hillel give plenty of social options for Jewish youth and families, their programming tends to drop off considerably for unmarried individuals who no longer attend school. The young Jewish professional is among the least likely Jewish demographic to participate in any kind of religious community, be it joining a synagogue or participating in local events. After all, why should they take part in a community that does little to meet their needs, either spiritually or socially? The challenge for modern Jewish organizations is not how to draw young professionals to their existing structures, but deciding what kinds of new programming they can launch to appeal to this woefully under-serviced group. The following are a few ideas for young Jewish professional events, whether in an established organization or as a stand-alone activity.

The Importance of Shabbat

Of the Ten Mitzvot (or Commandments), only the fourth dictates a specific ritual. The text states, roughly translated from the Hebrew, "Remember the day of rest for its holiness" (zakhor et yom shabat l'kodsho). For thousands of years, this has been interpreted to mean that the seventh day of the week should be reserved for some sort of religious observance, the rituals we now simply call Shabbat. The rituals of Shabbat have come to include many things both at home and at the synagogue. But why is this observance so important that it deserves to be mentioned alongside the very moral core of Jewish philosophy?

Interfaith Marriage and the Modern Jewish Home

Jewish culture has often been associated with progressive politics, especially in the United States. Jews were some of the most common white supporters of the rights of people of color in the integration debate of the 1960's. Jews have always been present in demonstrations of anti-war protest, at the forefront of the gender equality movement and most recently in the acceptance of equal rights for same-sex couples. Still, there are a few cultural sticking points that keep Jewish culture within a somewhat conservative state of mind. The most prevalent belief is that Jews should only ever marry and have children with other Jews. What place does this belief have in modern American (or even global) society and is it still a valid point of view?

Mysticism Demystified: Tzadikim Nistarim

One of the great Jewish metaphors is that of the Tzadikim Nistarim, "The Hidden Righteous". It is the concept that, at any given time, there are 36 truly righteous people living in the world. This idea first appeared in the Talmudic tractate of Sanhedrin more than 2000 years ago and has remained a part of Jewish mystical conversations into the modern day. Hidden within the concept of the Tzadikim Nistarim is a thoughtful, somewhat ironic understanding of righteousness and leadership in Jewish philosophy.

Challah Recipe

Challah is the traditional ritual bread of the Jewish people. Its recipe dates back as far as the Jewish exile in Babylon and possibly earlier. In addition to being a very tasty, unique food, challah is a deeply symbolic item. Its ingredients are rich and luxurious, certainly too costly to be used for everyday bread. Challah is the bread of the sabbath, an aesthetically pleasing sacrament that is not only the beginning of the shabbat meal, it is also a confluence of symbols.

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3 Great Movies About Jewish Families

The American movie business has always been closely tied with the Jewish community. Many of the most talented Jews on Vaudeville stages, like the Marx Brothers and George Burns, transitioned to the big screen where they offered up the wit and humor their audiences loved to viewers all over the world. It wouldn't be until much later that films started to overtly depict Jews, especially in candid portrayals of Jewish family life. The following three films are funny, touching and honest windows into American Jewish homes at different times in history.

Ashkenazi, Sephardic and Mizrahic Jews

Jewish communities have existed for long periods of time in regions throughout the world. While Judaic or Hebraic have long been considered discreet ethnic designations, the fact that one's Jewishness has more to do with religious belief than genetic history has confused this label over the centuries. It has been nearly 2000 years since Jews belonged to a single ethnicity, a result of the great Jewish Diaspora that followed the Jewish rebellions against Roman rule in the imperial province of Judea. When Jerusalem was sacked and the Jews still living in the Roman Empire were scattered across the globe, smaller Jewish communities flourished outside of the once sovereign territory of Canaan. By the Middle Ages, three major ethnic subgroups arose within the Jewish community and we still recognize those groups today. They are the Ashenazim, the Sephardim and the Mizrahim.