Month March 2021
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com Although, most shuls held the Shabbos HaGadol drasha last Shabbos, there are other minhagim of Shabbos HaGadol that are done on this coming Shabbos. Rabbi Moshe Isserles (1530-1572) in his glosses to the Shulchan… Continue Reading →
With Pesach only a day away, you might have come across quite a few ads and articles promoting wines for Pesach. I typically write a rather long megillah with detailed comments and tasting notes on a handful of wines. However, this year,… Continue Reading →
Brazil topped 300,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, becoming the second country to do so amid a spike in infections that has seen the South American country report record death tolls in recent days. The United States reached the grim… Continue Reading →
The eruption of a long-dormant volcano in southwestern Iceland has drawn large crowds of visitors eager to get close to the lava flows. Many have trekked to the volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula, near Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, since it flared… Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON (AP) — The CEOs of tech giants Facebook, Twitter and Google faced a grilling in Congress Thursday as lawmakers tried to draw them into acknowledging their companies’ roles in fueling the January insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and rising… Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Ford Motor Co. can be sued in the state courts by people who were killed or seriously injured in accidents involving Ford vehicles. The justices unanimously rejected the Michigan-based company’s… Continue Reading →
As Americans slowly return to flying, airlines are dropping some of the changes they made early in the pandemic. Southwest Airlines has gone back to boarding passengers in lots of 30. During the pandemic, it restricted boarding to 10 passengers… Continue Reading →
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The New York attorney general’s office called on ethics investigators Thursday to look into reports that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others connected to him received special access to coronavirus tests a year ago, when such testing… Continue Reading →
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday signed into law a sweeping Republican-sponsored overhaul of state elections that includes new restrictions on voting by mail and gives the legislature greater control over how elections are run. Democrats and… Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON (JTA) — A bipartisan slate of senators called on President Biden to aim for an expansive deal that would severely limit Iran’s capacity to do harm. “Looking ahead, we strongly believe that you should use the full force of… Continue Reading →
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — California will start vaccinating anyone 16 and over against the coronavirus starting in three weeks, expanding eligibility to the shots along with a host of other states as a long-awaited boost in vaccine supplies is… Continue Reading →
Can I take painkillers before or after a COVID-19 vaccine? Don’t take them before a shot to try to prevent symptoms, but if your doctor agrees, it’s OK to use them afterward if needed. The concern about painkillers is that… Continue Reading →
As Pesach draws closer the tempo on the streets of Yerushalayim is picking up as people once again enjoy the sounds and smells of the upcoming Z’man Cheiruseinu. After last year’s challenging re-Pesach preparation when even toiveling and hagalos keilim… Continue Reading →
INDIA (JNS) – The Bnei Menashe community in the remote northeastern Indian state of Manipur began preparing for Passover earlier this week, including by baking matzah at the Shavei Israel Hebrew Center in Churachandpur. The Bnei Menashe, or sons of Manasseh, claim descent from… Continue Reading →
A former CIA employee cannot get espionage charges against him dismissed on the grounds that there weren’t enough Hispanic or Black individuals on the grand jury that indicted him, a judge ruled Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty issued… Continue Reading →
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Jonathan Pollard, the convicted spy for Israel whose story haunted the American Jewish community’s relations with the U.S. government for decades, is unrepentant. “The bottom line on this charge of dual loyalty is, I’m sorry, we’re Jews,… Continue Reading →
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Guess What Didn’t Happen Between 1954 and 1974? Guess What Won’t Happen Between 2026 and 2044? Well, if you haven’t guessed it yet, here is another hint: It happens, approximately, once every 9 years…. Continue Reading →
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Guess What Didn’t Happen Between 1954 and 1974? Well, if you haven’t guessed it yet, here is another hint: It happens, approximately, once every 9 years. Hint #2. It can occur as frequently as… Continue Reading →
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia man said his former employer owed him a pretty penny, $915 to be exact, after leaving his job in November. But Andreas Flaten said he was shocked to see his final payment: 90,000 oil or… Continue Reading →