I am sickened to hear the recent reports from Israel concerning eight-year-old Naama Margolese who is afraid to go to school because “orthodox” extremists spat on her and called her a whore for dressing “immodestly.” In addition to violating the biblical commandment of Ahavas Israel, and Maimonides warning against extremism, this fanatical behavior can have [...]
Archive for January, 2012
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Opinion: A spit of death
I am sickened to hear the recent reports from Israel concerning eight-year-old Naama Margolese who is afraid to go to school because “orthodox” extremists spat on her and called her a whore for dressing “immodestly.” In addition to violating the biblical commandment of Ahavas Israel, and Maimonides warning against extremism, this fanatical behavior can have [...]
Don’t be fooled!
by Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz Evangelical missionary David Herzog stooped to a new low deceiving the Jewish community with ads which intentionally avoided any mention of their Christian evangelical agenda. The half-page ads ran for several weeks in the Los Angeles Jewish Journal. They promoted a Beverly Hills event offering “supernatural healings” based on what the [...]
Who’s Knocking at YOUR Door?
A Jewish teenager is getting off a bus at the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station. Across the street he sees activity in front of a three-story building, and he walks over to see what’s going on. A young man standing outside invites the teen in. “Want some coffee? We’ve got a little café in here.” [...]
200 Missionaries Targeting Jewish Neighborhoods
Los Angeles, CA – April 1, 2011 By Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz Wednesday afternoon I answered my door in Pico Robertson to discover three young people, ranging from 18 to 22 years old. They wanted to talk to me about “Israel Restoration.” For a moment I thought they were talking about rebuilding Israeli forests. However, the [...]
Right Place, Right Time
August 28, 2003 By Rabbi Ben-Tzion Kravitz It was Sunday afternoon, July 6, 2003, and I was approaching the end of a successful three-week mission to Israel dedicated to responding to a new wave of missionary activity. In addition to lectures, news interviews and meetings with government officials, my colleagues and I distributed thousands of [...]
Living the Chai Life
December 20, 2001 Agoura’s Chai Center gives Jewish kids a place to connect. By Wendy J. Madnick Share Kimia Ghiam turns to the Chai Center for a quiet space to do homework. They’re celebrating the fourth night of Chanukah at the Chai Teen and Youth Center, and, to put it mildly, this joint is [...]
Where Religion Meets Bohemia
By Gaby Wenig Share Members of Chabad of Greater Los Feliz sing and clap as they parade in Torah celebration. “What on earth is that?” asks Jordan, a 27-year-old actor in Los Feliz. He is staring at a dancing rabbi on a flatbed truck that is inching its way down Vermont Avenue, one of [...]
Praying for Southern Baptists
November 4, 1999 By Curt Schleier By Curt Schleier Share I’m not surprised that Southern Baptists are praying for the conversion of the Jews. I’m praying for Southern Baptists. I pray that they see how hypocritical and offensive it is for them to say they love Jews and in the same breath trash our religion. [...]
The Play’s Not the Thing
July 31, 1997 Up Front Share The Play’s Not the Thing According to reviews, “Mendel and Moses,” a musical playing at the Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills, isn’t much of a play. But it is provoking — at least in some corners of the Jewish community — significant controversy. Rabbi Benzion Kravitz, founder and [...]
Young Jews Rally for Haiti
April 27, 2010 By Danielle Berrin Share From left: Barak Raviv and Jews for Judaism’s Rabbi Zalman Kravitz and other guests. Inspired by Israel’s response to the earthquake disaster in Haiti, Jews for Judaism Young Professionals and the Barak Raviv Foundation partnered for a Feb. 17 fundraiser at h.wood in Hollywood. More than 200 [...]