A story is told of a man who lived his life on a constant quest for the absolute truth. During his frequent travels, he one day receives word that the "world of truth" exists in a certain cave. Upon entering the cave, he sees an old sage and thousands of lit candles. "What are all these candles for?" asks the man. "Each candle is for a person in the universe," replies the sage, "and if a candle is dwindling it signifies that the individual's life is coming to a close." "Where is mine?" asks the man. The sage …More

Binyamin Kagedan, JNS.org As is the case for many holidays in the Jewish calendar cycle, Lag B’Omer (April 28 this year) carries within it not one, but multiple and distinct layers of meaning. Mystical significances, historical memories, and moral reflections all meld together into the contemporary notion of what makes this day special, the product of nearly two millennia of overlaid and interwoven innovations in tradition and observance. One of the most prominent themes describes that the 33rd day of the …More

Maimonides, one of the most renowned scholars in Jewish history, moved across continents; his knowledge of Jewish law and tradition to the sciences was just as boundless. Maimonides was born in the 1130s in Cordoba, Spain. While still in his teens, he mastered math, geometry and logic. He also studied medicine and turned to metaphysics, ethics and theology. He was particularly interested in Aristotle, whose teachings he weaved through his later writings. But Maimonides’ life was by no means tranquil. …More

Moses ben Maimon, better known in modern times as Maimonides, was a preeminent Jewish scholar and one of Judaism’s most revered philosophers. His teachings had a real and lasting effect on how Jews, even now, practice their religion, and his writings are still studied by scholars today. Rambam, short for Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, was born in Cordoba, now Spain, on the 14th of Nissan, erev Pesach. The year was 1135, a time when Jewish enlightenment was nearing the end of its golden age in the Iberian …More

The sages of the Talmud had a debate about how we are to light the Chanukah menorah: Should we begin with eight candles and remove one each night, or begin with one and add through the holiday? After hearing different views, it was resolved that we must add a light each night to grow in holiness. So, too, must we increase in holiness in all aspects of our lives. Just as it was found to be unacceptable to take away Chanukah candles, it is incumbent on us to advance in life rather than take a step back or even …More

The man sitting on the commuter train focusing intently on his iPhone might be playing Angry Birds. Or he might be studying Talmud, Skyping with a chevruta partner in Israel or even teaching Hebrew school. “Mobile technologies could help people practice Judaism,” said Barry Schwartz, CEO of RustyBrick, a West Nyack, NY-based software company that has created more than 30 Jewish mobile apps. “It is the future. Wherever you go -- the airport, shul -people are looking stuff up and …More

MK Avi Dichter is certain he will become the next homefront defense minister. [Israel Hayom] The Temple Mount becomes a national problem for Israel. [ynet] A rare breed of kittens are born in Ramat Gan. [The Times of Israel] Is it ethical for Jewish young adults to take Birthright trips sponsored by Sheldon Adelson? [Policymic] Unaffiliated Jews are being recruited by a new brand of Hillel students. [The Times of Israel] The Talmud may find demons in a superstitious age. [Tablet] "The Dark Knight Rises" …More

French Muslim and Jewish groups are outraged after two pig heads were hung outside a mosque in the town where an Islamist gunman killed two paratroopers in March. [RFI English] Jews, Sikhs and Hindus cheer on fellow believers in the Olympics. [The Huffington Post] Csanad Szegedi resigns from the Jobbik party. [Arutz Sheva 7] The Australian foreign minister, Bob Carr, will visit Israel this week with support from the Australian Jewish community. [The Jerusalem Post] Stephen J. Kramer, the general secretary of …More

The Tal Law expires at midnight. [AFP] Follow Mitt Romney’s journey through Israel. [The Guardian] Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office deliver a letter from Knesset faction heads to Mitt Romney yesterday, urging him to support Jonathan Pollard. [The Jerusalem Post] The White House wants clarification on Romney's Jerusalem-capital comment, as do the Palestinians. [NECN.com] Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issues a statement applauding both …More

The Economist says it's trendy to be Jewish again. [The Economist] Jewish communities in Europe are organizing a circumcision debate. [AFP] Jews gear up to take the Talmud challenge. [Los Angeles Times] Jewish Olympians are on fire. [JUF News] Mitt Romney still has a hard road ahead of him in terms of reaching out to Jewish voters. [Miami Herald] A Jewish writer resigns from the New Yorker, hours after Tablet exposes plagiarized quotes from his John Lennon-inspired book. [Tablet] …More

An edition of the Talmud translated into Arabic is now on display at the National Library in Jerusalem. The 20-volume issue of the Babylonian Talmud took six years of work by 95 translators and researchers in Jordan’s Middle East Studies Center. The translated editions have mostly been sold in Jordan book fairs. "This is the first Arabic translation of the Babylonian Talmud, which represents the most important religious teaching in Judaism," Mohammad Najem, spokesman of the Center, told the AFP. "It is a …More

The LABA Festival is an annual tradition in Manhattan, bringing the work of Jewish artists into the mainstream. The LABA initiative is close to the heart of New York’s 14th Street Y, where the House of Study project fosters a different panel of select fellows each year. At the end of a 12-month period, the fellows present their work to the community, in a colorful, innovative festival of art. This year’s LABA event, taking place over the weekend, centers around the theme “Blueprint,” with …More