Feb. 8, 2013 Rabbi Berel Wein: Lofty ideals must be followed with grounded applications Clifford D. May: Letter from the West Bank Steve Rothaus: Judge OKs plan for gay man, lesbian couple to be on girl's birth certificate Gloria Goodale: States consider drone bans: Overreaction or crucial for privacy rights? Environmental Nutrition Editors: Don't buy the aloe vera juice hype Michael Craig Miller, M.D.: Harvard Experts: Regular exercise pumps up memory, too Erik Lacitis: Vanity plates: Some take too much license The Kosher Gourmet by Susie Middleton: Broccoflower, Carrot and Leek Ragout with Thyme, Orange and Tapenade is a delightful and satisfying melange of veggies, herbs and aromatics Feb. 6, 2013 Nara Schoenberg: The other in-law problem Frank J. Gaffney Jr. : A see-no-jihadist for the CIA Kristen Chick: Ahmadinejad visits Cairo: How sect tempers Islamist ties between Egypt, Iran Roger Simon: Ed Koch's lucky corner Heron Marquez Estrada: Robot-building sports on a roll Patrick G. Dean, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: How to restore body's ability to secrete insulin Sharon Palmer, R.D.: 3 prostate-protecting diet tips The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen 7 principles for to help you make the best soup ever in a slow cooker Feb. 4, 2013 Jonathan Tobin: Can Jewish Groups Speak Out on Hagel? David Wren: Findings of government study, released 3 days before Newtown shooting, at odds with gun-control crusaders Kristen Chick: Tahrir becomes terrifying, tainted Curtis Tate and Greg Gordon: US keeps building new highways while letting old ones crumble David G. Savage: Supreme Court to hear case on arrests, DNA Harvard Health Letters: Neck and shoulder pain? Know what it means and what to do Andrea N. Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D.: Eat your way to preventing age-related muscle loss The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington Baked Pears in Red Wine and Port Wine Glaze: A festive winter dessert Feb. 1, 2013 Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: Redemption Clifford D. May Home, bloody, home Christa Case Bryant andNicholas Blanford Why despite Syria's allies warning of retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, the threats are likely hollow Rick Armon, Ed Meyer and Phil Trexler Ex-police captain cleared by DNA test is freed after nearly 15 years Harvard Health Letters: Could it by your thyroid? Sharon Palmer, R.D.: When 'healthy food' isn't Sue Zeidler: Coke ad racist? Arab-American groups want to yank Super Bowl ad (INCLUDES VIDEO) The Kosher Gourmet by Nealey Dozier The secret of this soup is the garnish January 30, 2013 Allan Chernoff: Celebrating 'Back from the Dead Day' America isn't a religious country? Don't tell Superbowl fans! Mark Clayton Cybercrime takedown! Germany remembers Hitler rise to power Israel salutes U. N. --- with the one finger salute Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Get cookin' with heart-healthy fats Ballot riles Guinness World Records The Kosher Gourmet by Elizabeth Passarella Potato, Squash and Goat Cheese Gratin January 28, 2013 Nancy Youssef: And Democracy for all? Two years on, Egypt remains in state of chaos Fred Weir: Putin: West is fomenting jihadi 'blowback' Meredith Cohn: Implantable pain disk may help those with cancer Michael Craig Miller, M.D. : Ask the Harvard Experts: Are there drugs to help control binge eating? David Ovalle Use of controversial 'brain mapping' technology stymied Jane Stancill: Professor's logic class has 180,000 friends David Clark Scott Lego Racism? The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali The celebrated chef introduces us to PANZEROTTI PUGLIESI, cheese-stuffed pastry from Italy's south

JewishWorldReview.com Don't know much about divinity . . . By Andrew Silow-Carroll The real knowledge you need to understand the Jews --- just kidding First the good news: When it comes to knowledge of other world religions, Jews score highest on questions about all religions other than Christianity, according to the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Here’s the bad news: According to the survey, “large numbers of Americans are uninformed about the tenets, practices, history, and leading figures of major faith traditions — including their own.” For example, 45 percent of Catholics missed the question on the meaning of the Communion bread and wine, and about half of Protestants couldn’t identify Martin Luther as the inspiration of the Protestant Reformation. As for knowledge of other religions, only 47 percent of Americans know that the Dalai Lama is Buddhist (apparently the survey did not ask, “Is the pope Catholic?”). Fewer than 8 percent of adults know that Maimonides was Jewish. Of course, simple facts about beliefs and customs don’t tell you the whole story about any religious group. That’s what I’m here for. I can’t help my non-Jewish friends with knowledge of other religions, and if they want to know the basics of Judaism there are plenty of good sources out here. What I can help them with is a deeper understanding of Judaism and the Jewish people, and to answer the kinds of questions Pew should be asking: Which is the least appetizing Jewish food? • Gefilte fish • Pickled herring • Schav Which of the following people do not show up in synagogue on Saturday mornings at the scheduled start time of 9 a.m.? • The rabbi and the cantor • The gentile bar mitzva guests • Everyone else What is the least common complaint heard in a synagogue? • The rabbi’s sermon was too short • There weren’t enough new melodies! • They’re serving meat at Kiddush again?! What is your favorite episode from the Bible? • When everyone thought Moses was an Egyptian • When Abraham bought his ancestors a burial place in Hebron • When the Divine convinces Pharaoh to let His people go What is your favorite episode from Seinfeld? • When everyone thought Jerry was a Nazi • When Jerry bought a van from “Fragile” Frankie Merman • When Kramer convinces Jerry to get illegal cable What is the significance of the number 18? • In Hebrew numerology, it spells “chai,” or life • It takes 18 minutes to bake a kosher matza • In many states, it means a kid can drive the other kids to soccer practice Which of these is not an actual Jewish custom? • Swinging a live chicken to expiate one’s sins • Shaking a citrus fruit to celebrate the harvest • Aiming a firearm to obliterate a quadruped Is it okay to do yoga if you’re Jewish? • Yes, as long as the physical poses are isolated from the spiritual meditations • No, except if it is being sponsored by Sisterhood • Maybe, but please check with your chiropractor Which of these important sayings is not from the Mishna? • “Who is wise? One who learns from all.” • “Who is rich? He that rejoices in his portion.” • “Who is coming? And will we need to put the leaf in the table?” There you go, my non-Jewish friends: The real knowledge you need to understand the Jews. As for the meaning of Communion, you’re on your own. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and the media consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. Interested in a private Judaic studies instructor — for free? Forget the above. We're being serious, now! Let us know by clicking here. To comment, please click here. JWR contributor Andrew Silow-Carroll is the editor in chief of the New Jersey Jewish News. © 2010, Andrew Silow-Carroll