Shavous Youth

Shavuot, which belongs to every Jew, focuses on the young. But possessing the requisite energy to pull all-nighters is not the reason. Rather, the young are deemed the guarantors of …

When the Israelites assembled at Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah, they were warned not to touch the mountain on penalty of death. Today we adhere to a similar ban …

Since 2014, we have asked our readers to voice their reflections on what certain prayers mean to them for our Shavuot edition: “To you, G-d, silence is praise”; the Shema; …

A friend leans over to you at services and whispers that a congregant is terminally ill. Regardless of your connection — close, remote, conflicted — shock levels the relational field. …

I first heard the mourner’s Kaddish as I stood next to the open ground at my Grandpa Wasserkrug’s graveside service. I was nine — too young to understand so many …

When Rabbi Daniel Alter leaves DAT at the end of June to head the Moriah Day School in Englewood, NJ, he’’ll probably keep his emotions to himself —— or at …

Six Hebrew words. That’s all it takes to define the essence of Judaism: the unity of G-d and the unity of the Jewish people. “Hear O Israel, the L-rd is our …

Bullying as a social ill to be resisted largely came to the forefront of American consciousness after the Columbine massacre of 1999, when it was alleged and widely believed that …

I had never heard of the biblical verse, “To You, G-d, silence is praise” prior to this assignment — but it immediately appealed to me. I felt like I stumbled …

LOS ANGELES — — On Shavuot, we celebrate the revelation of the Torah by reading from it. But first we need to find the place. How do we find our …

AMERICAN Jews typically associate Shavuot with the Book of Ruth, late-night Torah study sessions and eating at least one generous helping of cheesecake. No matter where you reside, we’re fairly …

I attended first grade at Blackberry Lane Elementary in St. Louis. It had a fair number of Jewish students, including me. I remember the exploits of Dick and Jane, and …