Features

Off the Shelf: A biography, a memoir and a history by Rabbi Rachel Esserman

Courage and determination: that’s what ties the stories found in the three non-fiction works in this review. Whether it’s fighting for the right of workers to unionize, helping the French resistance, or using a road race to symbolically represent a defeat of fascism, each character or na…

Off the Shelf: Different styles of love by Rabbi Rachel Esserman

Sometimes when looking at a book featuring a love story, I end up debating to which genre it belongs. Would it be placed on the romance shelves of a bookstore or with works of literary fiction? The reason for my debate is that I like to judge a work by what the author is attempting to accomp…

On the Jewish food scene: Neither meat nor milk, sort of

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

“What’s this par-va thing,” said the voice on the other end of the phone. That question came from the mother of a non-Jewish friend. She’d just learned she was allergic to milk and her doctor told her to look for the kosher symbol with the word pareve next t…

Baseball’s all-time Jewish all-star team by Bill Simons

By Bill Simons

When Esquire magazine named all-time baseball all-star teams for various ethnic groups, sarcasm preceded its Jewish selections: “There haven’t been many Jewish ballplayers, let alone Jewish ballplayers of quality, and this creates problems; anyone who is left off the team…

Jewish resources to occupy your family during social distancing – part 14

By Reporter staff 

A variety of Jewish groups are offering online resources – educational and recreational – for those who are not allowed out of the house. Below is a sampling of those. The Reporter will publish additional listings as they become available. 

  • The America-Israel Fri…