Sefira Lightstone

I was sixteen years old when I became enchanted with Israel as I trekked throughout the Holy Land with a group of sunburned teenagers on a summer youth group trip. I called home to my mother, proclaiming that I wanted to live in Israel and marry a handsome Israeli soldier. The trip wasn't religiously oriented and the mission was more to expose young American Jews to the land than to expose us to Judaism. But when a land and a people are so inherently connected, that sole mission was impossible to achieve. As we went to the holy sites I thought to myself how I didn't really know what to do there, but when I came upon the Western Wall, my body swayed, my eyes welled with tears, and my lips couldn't stop themselves from whispering petitions. I thought I didn't know what to do, but I did.

Shema is the most well-known and arguably the most central prayer of Judaism. Jews have sacrificed their lives for millennia with the words of Shema Yisrael on their lips, and are praised as the people who “say Shema twice daily.” 1

The Five Books of Moses, also known as the Pentateuch, are the foundational work of Judaism. Dictated by G‑d and transcribed by Moses, these books chronicle the formation of the Jewish nation and convey G‑d ’s instructions on how we can fulfill our life’s mission. Read on for 17 facts about the most important work ever written.

The Dnieper River sat frozen and still, flanking a city with a hole in its heart. It was the 1st of January, 1908, and one block from the frozen banks of the Dnieper, the Jewish community of Ekaterinaslav was in mourning. Their leader, Rabbi Dov Ze’ev Kozevnikov, had just passed away. 1

Kabbalah is Jewish mysticism, an ancient tradition that offers deep insights into the nature of G‑d, His interaction with the world, and the purpose of Creation. Hidden for millennia from all but a select few, today this deeper aspect of the Torah is accessible to all, inspiring and uplifting men and women from across the spectrum of academic knowledge and religious observance. Read on for 14 facts about perhaps the most potent but misrepresented area of Jewish wisdom.

The Torah portion of Shoftim continues Moses ’ final address to the Children of Israel, who are on the cusp of entering the Holy Land. Like a loving father conveying his last will and testament to his children, Moses encourages, admonishes, and reminisces with the people, preparing them for life in the Land without him.

In 1980, when I was 15 years old, my father was appointed security manager for El Al cargo at JFK airport. Our family moved from Israel to Long Island for my father’s new job and that’s how I came to spend my teenage years in America.

Shabbat has ended, and it's time for Havdalah. Typically, this ceremony requires a few essential items, but what if you're away from home or find yourself without them? Maybe you’ve run out of wine, spices, or candles. Don't worry! In this article, we'll walk you through various scenarios and what you can do in each situation.

A meditation for picking yourself up off the floor By Tzvi Freeman

Psalm 27 begins with the words “To David: The L‑rd is my light and my salvation.” (Read the entire text in English and Hebrew here )