Laws of Shabbat for Beginners
by Lori Palatnik
What, how, why and where do all these laws come from?
In one breath, God said both, "Guard and remember the Shabbat."
Love of God, time with family, reconnecting with friends and with oneself -- all these fulfill the commandment to "remember" Shabbat.
But these beautiful concepts must also be grounded in a foundation of strength, a structure that will provide the soil in which these ideas can take hold, root and blossom.
This foundation is the commandment to "guard" Shabbat, as detailed in halacha, Jewish law.
Yet the word halacha does not literally translate as "law," for it comes from the root halach, which means "to go," "to walk." Halacha means "a path." It is not about cold do's and don't's, but about movement. When one learns the laws in a deep way and applies them within a Jewish lifestyle, halacha becomes not a restriction, but a direction. And when paired with the beauty of "remember," the coupling opens up a world without limitations -- a world of endless depth and opportunity.
The two commandments, to guard and to remember, were said by God in one breath, for one without the ...   more »

Christian-Jewish relations under fire
Determined Israeli politician gains support of top religious authorities in effort to end cooperation between Evangelical Christan world and Israel.
by Ryan Jones
 An Israeli politician who has for years sought to put an end to Christian-Jewish relations may now be making progress after gaining the ear of Israel's top religious authorities.
Jerusalem City Councilwoman Mina Fenton's past efforts have come to naught largely because Israel's religious authorities under the leadership of former chief rabbi Meir Lau were generally tolerant, and often supportive, of Christian-Jewish reconciliation and cooperation.
But Lau's replacement, Rabbi Yonah Metzger, has been described as far more political and suspicious in his outlook.
Earlier this month, Fenton and her allies in various anti-missionary Jewish groups managed to convince a top rabbinical court to ban Jewish participation in an inter-faith women's conference put on by the parliamentary Christian Allies Caucus and two Jerusalem-based Christian ministries.
Of greater concern to pro-Israel Bible believers was the fact that caucus chairman and staunch proponent of Christian-Jewish relations, Member of Knesset Benny Elon bound himself to the ruling and did not attend the conference.
Fenton told Israel Today that the evidence of missionary activity presented at the rabbinical ...   more »