Author Archives: Dorit Sasson

History of Political Representation

Consider the last three presidents with regard to their stands on Jewish political representation in the White House. George W. Bush is the first president since Herbert Hoover who has no Jews in his cabinet at all and has appointed no Jews to the Federal Branch. Bill Clinton appointed more Jews to his cabinet than all of the previous presidents combined and put Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, both 1st appointed to the federal bench by Jimmy Carter, on the Supreme Court. George Bush in 1985 as Vice President played a personal role in Operation Joshua,’ the airlift which … Continue reading →

Learning and Teaching about the Holocaust

During my last year of teaching in Israel, I prepared my own literature program about the Holocaust. Like other English teachers on staff, I was really insecure on how to approach teaching it and more particularly, I was afraid that it would reveal to me the true essence of being a Jew. I chose Elie Wiesel’s powerful gripping account of his experience living at the extermination camps in Buchenwald and Buna in Night. Not too long ago, this book made headlines with Ophra’s Book club. I highly recommend reading this book. I thought the book was age appropriate for my … Continue reading →

Self Sacrifice and Beginning a Business

Every week, I try to attend services across from our house. Sometimes I opt for a women’s group which focuses on weekly in-depth studying of different sections of the Torah or “parshas.” This past week, the group organizer passed out slips based on important sections from the Torah and what prominent figures like Moshe or Avraham or Ruth said. There were names of tribes and daughter and sons whose names I didn’t recognize or couldn’t even pronounce clearly. We read these section aloud, gave our own spiritual interpretation and tried to associate them with the trials and tribulations of modern … 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 →

Integrating within a Jewish Community

On our kibbutz, we participated in social events, which for Israel, are considered important days like Yitzhak Rabin z”l, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Remembrance Day of Israel’s fallen soldiers. Those of you who have visited a kibbutz, you probably know that a kibbutz unit is a self-sufficient community responsible for its own social and economic needs. Searching for the right community here in Pittsburgh however is a completely different story. As we see it, there are two kinds of communities: there is the JCC community and the synaoguge community. Both are social in nature – one is obviously more religious … Continue reading →

Why is Kosher Food so Expensive?

With the price of food and gas continually rising, my husband and I had a discussion yesterday as to why kosher food particularly, kosher meat and chicken are so much more expensive than regular meat. My husband tried to convinced me of the expenses involved in the maintaining and regulating the diet of what the chickens and cattle eat.Well, that makes sense in light of the rising prices of feed. But I’m suspecting that it is also the halacha (law) of services that it takes for maintaining Kashrut. My husband also said that there is extensive monitoring and inspection involved … Continue reading →

Finding Your Roots from Jewish Historical Art

In times of personal struggle, strife, unsurety, I always look to one of the more subtle areas of my life where I feel I need to build more of a connection in order to get some answers. If you think about it, Jewish art is one of those areas that needs personalization especially when it comes to finding out your roots. There is nothing more refreshing than learning a bit more truth about yourself and who you are. The Twelve Tribes of Israel is a fine example of what I mean. If you look at the link above, you’ll see … Continue reading →

A Jewish Pot Luck Dinner for Newcomers

I’ll never forget how yummy kibbutz food can be even if it does have too much oil. Kibbutz members are quick to complain about the food – “the soup’s too oily” or, “the mashed potatoes are too cold” but I never had a problem with it. As a buyer and manager for the dining room for seven years, the food complaints irated my husband but we both knew that sitting together with kibbutz members can spice up a dinner even if the mashed potatoes are still cold. Potluck dinners are the closest thing to the convivial atmosphere of our kibbutz … Continue reading →

Online Torah Coaches

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Like many of my later learning experiences of Torah and parsha, I felt that I needed to learn in a group setting, or one on one in order for any meaningful experience to take place. Well, technology changed all that and it is really making Torah learning much more accessible than I originally thought. The virtual world of education is one that is rapidly growing and it is entering the the Jewish world as well. I did not have a bat-mitzvah but my brother did. Back in the eighties, he learned portion by portion until he felt comfortable with the … Continue reading →

The Message of Giving Back

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Many years ago, I was at the turning point of becoming religous. It was undoutably, a phase I was going through but it was also more than that. In a spiritual journey that took more than fifteen years trying to understand laws of Kashrut and Gemmara, I think I have come to understand that Judaism is a cyclical process of giving. I guess it is also part of my nature: I need to give back in order to nurture my soul from within. Today marks fourteen years of the passing of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of righteous memory. In 1993, … Continue reading →