My 21st Birthday was on Yom Kippur

By Max Daniel October 3, 2013

My 21st birthday was on Yom Kippur. No, this isn’t the set-up of some Woody Allen-esque joke, but my real life (which often takes its cues from Annie Hall and Manhattan). When I mention this to people who ask me about my birthday plans, I always joke about it – how I could have a break-fast…

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Kind of observing kashrut

By mekeisler April 1, 2011

Recent posts on Pesach got me thinking about my own kashrut practices. To my non-Jewish friends, I’m that guy that’s really Jewish. I have a mezuzah up on my front door and my bedroom door; I have thick glasses and a not insignificant nose; I work at a synagogue. And I kind of keep kosher….

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Canadian and American Jews: Who is more liberal?

By mmoncaster February 23, 2011

Tucked away in a comment on my blog post last week was an interesting question that got me thinking. It read: Do you feel like the Canadian Jewish community is on the whole further to the left than the American Jewish community? I have been living in Vancouver for over a year now, and honestly,…

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The Reading List: Another A-List Intermarriage

By Ben Sales December 23, 2010

This time it’s between Lauren Bush, Dubya’s niece, and MOT David Lauren, son of designer Ralph. Lauren Lauren anyone? [From Under the Fig Tree] Breaking story from Fox News: Elie Wiesel won the Holocaust! [Mediaite] It turns out American Jews aren’t an endangered species. [Forward] Stuck for plans on Christmas Eve? Here’s what the rabbis suggest….

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J Street Journal, Day Three and Recap: Posing the Problem

By Ben Sales October 28, 2009

“In 100 years, the situation will be the same as it is now. Nothing will change.” So said a friend of mine on my final night in Jerusalem last summer. She rolled her eyes and sipped a beer. “What about the demographic issue?” I said. “Whatever. We’ll just import a million more Russians. Why do…

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