Search Results for: blog rachel jewish motherhood and sacrifice

Rachel: Jewish Motherhood and Sacrifice

Last week marked the anniversary of the passing of Rachel who, along with Sarah, Rebecca and Leah, is one of the matriarchs. Although her sister Leah and their handmaids also gave birth to the leaders of the tribes of Israel, Rachel is considered to be the mother of all Jews. Throughout her life, Rachel faced many challenges and showed persistent faith and self-sacrifice which the hallmark of Jewish women. Rachel was the daughter of Laban who was not a righteous man and who tricked her husband Jacob. Laban promised him the privilege of marrying Rachel if he worked for him … Continue reading →

What is Genetic Genealogy?

During a search on the Internet for genealogy information I came across the term “genetic genealogy.” I did not know what it meant, and I did not look into it at the time because it sounded like it could be rather scientific, and I was not in a scientific mood. However, today, I decided that I would learn what genetic genealogy is all about. Genetic genealogy combines traditional genealogy with genetic testing to determine the level of genetic relationship between individuals. In other words, how similar is your genetic makeup to that of your ancestors? Genetic genealogy is a relatively … Continue reading →

Saturday Shabbat at the Rabbi’s House

As a child growing up in both secular and Orthodox households, I never felt close enough to understand Orthodox religion. The mental distance between God and and my world as a child was rigid; “no jumping on the beds,” “being quiet on Shabbat” and so on. At the time, there was a feeling that religion is my enemy and only dictates to me my flaws: am I good or bad if I don’t listen to the higher authority of good. We were invited to eat today’s Shabbat lunch at the head rabbi’s house in Pittsburgh. (American Jews call it “shabbos” … Continue reading →