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The Ultimate Jewish and Israel Directory for Kosher, Kasherus, Kashrut with hundreds of Learning links worldwide.

Branches of Judaism

This is the organization of about 800 Conservative synagogues in North America. The site has links to the full slate of Conservative organizations (Men's Clubs, Women's League, USY, etc.), past press releases, etc. The site has a link to all Conservative synagogues that have webpages, but, curiously, it is a different list than the one found in the JTSA pages. From JUDAISM ON THE WEB, (c) 1997 by MIS:Press. Reprinted by permission of Henry Holt and Company, Inc.

B'nai B'rith - http://bnaibrith.org/

B’nai B’rith International has been the powerful voice and force for Jewish unity, Jewish security and Jewish continuity. B’nai B’rith has encouraged and assisted Jewish people worldwide to connect with and appreciate their heritage, expanding upon the richness of their culture. B’nai B’rith does vital work. Work that changes as the needs and times change. It inspires a commitment to excellence and to the betterment of humanity, which has been passed on from one generation of B’nai B’rith members to the next.

New Jersey "Y" Camps - http://www.njycamps.org/

Seven summer camps serving the NJ community

Orthodox Union Online - http://www.ou.org/

The Orthodox Union is the largest Orthodox synagogue organization, serving approximately 1,000 congregations in North America. Its home page, called OU Online, is the equivalent of a polished cyber-press release. The OU is best known for its supervision of kosher foods. The OU Kashrut directory for Passover appears on this site. Two very useful aspects of this site are its listing of synagogues and its large number of links relating to substantive Jewish knowledge. The synagogue listing includes links to Web pages of Orthodox synagogues all over the world, whether OU affiliated or not. It's clear when viewing this page, however, that most Orthodox synagogues are not yet linked up. On the other hand, there is a nice on-line facility to register your Orthodox organization and get a free, very basic listing. The links to Jewish information include Torah commentary, Jewish law (e.g., in-depth writings on kashrut and various other rituals), and viewpoints on current events. You can even arrange for a message to be placed at the Kotel (Western Wall) an interesting mixture of technology and tradition. As a nice touch, the front page lets you choose whether you want subsequent pages with or without frames and extensive graphics. This site has just undergone a major revamping.

Union of American Hebrew Congregations - http://www.shamash.org/reform/uahc/

As a union of congregations, the UAHC is dedicated to maintaining the synagogue as the very center of Jewish life. It is the synagogue that transforms individual members into caring, committed Jews, inspiring them to live Jewish lives. We also understand that our synagogues are the door through which our members encounter a larger entity, K'lal Yisrael, the people of Israel. As the description indicates, the UAHC is the synagogue arm of the Reform Jewish community in North America, representing some 1,000 institutions. A table of links appears on the home page, laid out in an easy manner for you to jump where you need to go. There is a tremendous amount of information about the UAHC and its programs and services here. The UAHC's directory of congregations is the best of the movements. Not only is each congregation listed (along with a link to those who have Web pages), but you can search for congregations in various ways (region, state, city, synagogue name). Other notable features include a list of Jewish resources on the Net of interest to Reform Jews, links to important current and historical documents of Reform Judaism, and an excellent searching tool for the online catalog of its music publishing arm, Transcontinental Music.

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation - http://shamash.org/jrf/

Reconstructionism is the second-newest, and probably second-smallest, Jewish movement in the United States (next to the Union for Traditional Judaism). Like the UTJ site, this site also reflects on their modest size. It is a very basic site, but with links to a complete directory of Reconstructionist congregations, and other well-written essential information including a definition of Reconstructionism. "Reconstructionists define Judaism as the evolving religious civilization of the Jewish people. By "evolving" we mean that Judaism has changed over the centuries of its existence. The faith of the ancient Israelites in the days of Solomon's Temple was not the same as that of the early rabbis. And neither of those faiths was the same as that of our more recent European ancestors. Each generation of Jews has subtly reshaped the faith and traditions of the Jewish people. Reconstructionist Jews seek to nurture this evolution." From JUDAISM ON THE WEB, (c) 1997 by MIS:Press. Reprinted by permission of Henry Holt and Company, Inc.

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Calendars and Candlelighting Times

You can look up any day of any year on this site, and you can also find out the candle lighting and Havdalah times of most any major city in the world on this site. You can also search by geographical area and time zone.

On Lighting Candles - http://www.ou.org/zmanim/default.htm

This site lists the time to light candles on Shabbat in major North American cities.

The Jewish Calendar Page - http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jweizman/

Convert Any Civil Date into Jewish one in ONLY 3 Additions

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Genealogy

This site provides a list of several hundred Jewish genealogy links, cross-indexed by subject.

www.jewishgen.org
THE place for Jewish genealogy. Constantly updated as more data becomes available. Try Shtetl Seekers, Family Finder, and, if your family originated in Poland, scroll down to the "Hosted organizations" and click on Jewish Records Index - Poland known as JRI-PL. Warning! This site is habit forming!!

www.loc.gov/exhibits/haventohome
Includes many rare documents and some everyday ones from turn of the century immigration. Fascinating.

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Holidays

"Don't Let the Light Go Out," is a multimedia remembrance in honor of the Holocaust Remembrance Day Yom HaShoah. The exhibition features animated on-screen movies, historical images, quicktime movies and sound to bring users a little closer to the horror that is and was the Holocaust.

Basic Tu B'Shevat Information - http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday8.htm

This page provides basic information about the holiday Tu B'Shevat.

Purim on the Net - http://www.holidays.net/purim/

Here are some fun Holiday things for you and your family. You'll find stories of Queen Esther, King Ahasuerus, Mordechai, and Haman and Hamantashan to bake!

Rosh Hashana Traditions Explained - http://www.joi.org/celebrate/rosh/traditions.shtml

This site explains some of the traditions surrounding Rosh Hashanah including those traditions involving food, tashlich, tzedakah, and the shofar.

Rosh Hashanah - Breslov Teachings - http://www.breslov.org/roshha.html

This site is a list of important facts about Rosh Hashanah.

The Sabbath, and Sabbath Services - http://www.rrz.uni-hamburg.de/rz3a035/shabbath.html

This site offers a basic overview of information about the Sabbath of Shabbat.

Simchat Torah: Why Be Happy - http://www.milknhoney.co.il/torah/simchat2.html

Simchat Torah: Why Be Happy is an article that gives reasons why people should be happy on this joyous holiday.

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Introduction to Judaism

It is the purpose of this website to engage in honest inquiry, and investigate Judaism and it's beliefs, with the goal of bringing to the foreground the true ideas which have their source in the text of the Torah, or in the words of the Rabbis.It is also their goal to expose falsehoods which have plagued our nation for hundreds of years. Unfortunately as time marched on, more and more notions and beliefs from other cultures have infiltrated Judaism. Many have been held on to - all have goneunquestioned. They will investigate what the Torah and the Rishonim have understood and the Torah's true opinions to be. They will be led purely by the Mesora, and not by popular opinion. The goal of Mesora is to act as an accessible resource for anyone with questions regarding Judaism.

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Kashrut

This is a searchable database of kosher restaurants all over the world. You can also update their listings as well as submit your own new listings to this site.

Kosher Food FAQ - http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/rfcj/kosherfaq.htm

Recommended food cuisine. Jewish newsgroup frequently asked questions about kashrut and kosher food. Includes "why Kosher cuisine?", "when Kosher is irrelevant", and a glossary of non-English terms.

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Organizations

UJA Federation of Bergen County - http://www.jewishbergen.org/

Jewishbergen.org, a service of the UJA Federation of Bergen County & North Hudson. Jewishbergen.org provides information about resources, services, educational and cultural events, and news in our vibrant Jewish community. It can also provide you with volunteer opportunities and serve as your link to the wider Jewish world.

*Global Jewish Directory - http://www.jewishdirectory.com/

A complete Global directory of every Jewish institute and all the hard to find information.

American Israel Public Affairs Committee - http://www.aipac.org/

The AIPAC CyberCenter for Pro-Israel Activism is a slick, well-organized site that explains the goals and programs of one of the most powerful Israel-advocacy programs in the United States. It offers you the option to view the website as text only, which speeds things up considerably. "The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee is the national legislative advisory arm of America's Jewish community. You wake up in the morning and you read about a U.S. government policy toward Israel that irks you. What can you do about it? AIPAC has been working at this problem since the early 1950s... AIPAC reflects the use of the democratic process to impart the desires of America's Jews vis-a-vis Israel. AIPAC also plays a role in areas such as: foreign aid, the peace process, U.S.-Israel strategic cooperation, and the recognition of Jerusalem as the seat of Israel's government." You can look at AIPAC's efforts and offices state by state, read about their legislative efforts, sign up as a member, and check out their coverage of the 1996 political conventions and elections. There is also a moving memorial area remembering the late Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin. From JUDAISM ON THE WEB, (c) 1997 by MIS:Press. Reprinted by permission of Henry Holt and Company, Inc.

American Jewish Committee - http://www.ajc.org/

Founded in 1906, the American Jewish Committee seeks to protect the rights of Jews throughout the world; combat anti-semitism and bigotry; work for the security of Israel; enhance human rights, democratic pluralism and intergroup understanding; and promote the creative vitality of the Jewish people.

Anti-Defamation League - http://www.adl.org/

The ADL fights bigotry, anti-semitism and hatred against all people. It has educational programs such as "Confronting Anti-Semitism" for families and schools, "A World of Difference" - a diversity appreciation workshop, as well as provides educational materials to school, faculties and government organizations to teach about extremism, Holocaust denial, and anti-semitism world-wide. The ADL also has programs to build support for Israel and help people deal with anti-Zionism. Finally, the ADL fights for the separation of church and state, and compiles a list of anti-semitic incidents for their yearly audit (based on constituent reports, so please call).

Hillel Organizational Listing - http://www.hillel.org

Hillel's campus directory on the web. It lists all universities and the number of Jews there.

Jewish National Fund - http://www.jnf.org/

Formed in 1901, the Jewish National Fund is the agency responsible for afforestation and land reclamation in Israel. JNF reclaims land for housing , tourism, recreation and agriculture; plants and maintains forests; constructs dams and reservoirs; builds roads; provides employment and promotes Zionist education. JNF has received global recognition for its work as founding participant with the USDA Forest Service and five American universities, of the International Arid Lands Consortium. JNF and the Forest Service have engaged in over 40 reciprocal missions, with foresters, scientists and researchers learning from their counterparts in Israel and the United States.

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The Holocaust

A large, information-rich site with Holocaust writings, images, educational materials, and many memories.

The Holocaust/Shoah Page - http://www.mtsu.edu/%7Ebaustin/holo.html

News, a glossary, a chronology, essays, laws, history, quotations, and many other Holocaust resources can be found on this site.

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Torah

This project was conceived by Dr Ellen Isler, Director General of the World ORT Union, originally as a means by which a Jewish boy or girl could study and learn to recite their Bar or Bat Mitzvah portion of the Torah. It was also envisaged at the time that the material, in enabling someone to study the Torah at a place and time of their own choosing, would appeal both to those who wanted to re-establish their Jewish roots or else who were remote from centres of Jewish learning and wanted to maintain some form of contact.Given its original scope, the project was initially known as ŒThe Bar Mitzvah Project¹. However, it was felt that the project should be expanded to cover not only the needs of those for whom it was originally aimed, but also to provide a means by which others might explore the Five Books of Moses from a number of different perspectives. There are any number of pathways that one might take along a journey of biblical discovery. The more well trodden trails through the bible form, in their own right, a system of navigational routes, depending on the interests of the explorer. These pathways map out the main sections of the Atlas, and together with the word search facility and the calendar, provide the means by which the reader can "Navigate the Bible"; hence the title of the project.

Shamash Tanach Directory - http://shamash.org/tanach

This page includes internal hyperlinks among the Torah portions. It also has a great listing of sites with Torah commentary, categorized by religious movement, as well as many independent sites.

Mesora/JewishTimes - http://www.mesora.org/jewishtimes.html

There are many views in the Jewish world today. Many oppose each other. Some with reason, some not. However, there was only one Torah given by Hashem. Therefore, all opposing ideas cannot be true. Our goal is to engage you in honest inquiry, arriving at the rational and pleasing principles underlying all our laws. By investigating Judaism's beliefs, we intend to extract true, authentic ideas which have their source in the Torah's text, the Oral Law, and in the words of the Rabbis. It is also our goal to expose falsehoods which have plagued our nation for hundreds of years. Throughout time, notions and beliefs of other cultures have infiltrated Judaism. Many have been held onto - and not questioned. We will investigate what the Rishonim have understood as the Torah's true opinions. Our only leader is the Mesora, and not public opinion. Today, more than ever, it is essential there be a voice in the community which publicly addresses incorrect and dangerous notions. Many people hear and believe widely accepted ideas based only on the reputation of the communicator. However, the only criteria for determining that a concept is true and part of Judaism, is its source in the Torah, Gemara (Talmud), or the words of our Sages. We will list sources to support or arguments. Should we state an incorrect source or concept, we sincerely ask you to inform us.

TorahFax - http://www.netaxis.qc.ca/torahfax/

TorahFax was founded by Rabbi Zalmen Marozov in September, 1992, in Montreal. The purpose of TorahFax is "to give the business person and professional, with a busy schedule, a chance to learn a little Torah on a daily basis," and it began with daily fax transmissions of Torah study. In April, 1995, TorahFax went on the Internet. (There are no past archives online).

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Yiddish

This site is a well-written historical introduction to the Yiddish language, and also includes brief material on Yiddish literature, theater, and Yiddish words found in English. From JUDAISM ON THE WEB, (c) 1997 by MIS:Press. Reprinted by permission of Henry Holt and Company, Inc.

Yiddish Expressions - http://www.ariga.com/yiddish.htm

From a "bisel" to "Yungermantshik." This website lists hundreds of Yiddish expressions and their definitions.

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Israel

Practical information about visiting Israel.

WebCam on the Wall from Aish HaTorah - http://www.thewall.org/

Aish HaTorah provides several services on this site. It has a "webcam" on the Western wall which is updated every minute. You can also e-mail prayers to be put into the wall in your stead.

www.israelemb.org/kids
From the Israeli Embassy. Lots of pictures, some virtual tours, facts and trivia. Good sound and visual effects.

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News Sites

Wikipedia Definition of Jew - - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew

Jewz.com - - http://www.jewz.com/

Aish.com - - http://www.aish.com

Virtual Jerusalem - http://www.virtualjerusalem.com

"The Place Where Jews Click" -

Jewish Ledger - http://www.jewishledger.com

- Connecticut's only weekly Jewish newspaper -

Jerusalem Post Internet Edition - - http://www.jpost.com

JTA Today - http://www.jta.org

(formerly Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Haaretz - http://www.haaretzdaily.com/

Israeli Insider - http://www.israelinsider.com/

- Israel's daily newsmagazine -

The Jerusalem Report - http://www.jrep.com/

- The Jewish World's Leading News magazine Online -

Maariv (in Hebrew)- - http://www.maariv.co.il

Canadian Jewish News - - http://www.cjnews.com

Despatches - http://www.despatches.com

- News and Views from the Jewish Perspective -

DEBKAfile - http://www.debka.com/

- Political Analysis, Espionage, Terrorism Security ("We Start Where the Media Stop") -

Israel21c - http://www.israel21c.com/

- A Focus Beyond The Conflict -

Yedioth Ahronoth - http://www.ynet.co.il

- News and Content from Israel (in Hebrew) -

Tikkun Magazine - http://www.tikkun.org

- Tikkun magazine began publication in 1986 as the liberal alternative to the voices of Jewish conservatism and spiritual deadness in the Jewish world and as the spiritual alternative to the voices of materialism and selfishness in Western society. Tikkun provides a space for both affiliated and non-affiliated Jews who seek to renew their Judaism, and a space for Jews and non-Jews alike to shape a politics out of spiritual values.

The Jewish Press - http://www.thejewishpress.com

- America's Largest Independent Jewish Weekly Newspaper -

The Forward - THE FORWARD - http://www.forward.com

is a legendary name in American journalism and a revered institution in American Jewish life. Launched as a Yiddish-language daily newspaper on April 22, 1897, the Forward entered the din of New York's immigrant press as a defender of trade unionism and moderate, democratic socialism. The Jewish Daily Forward quickly rose above the crowd, however; under the leadership of its founding editor, the crustily independent Abraham Cahan, the Forward came to be known as the voice of the Jewish immigrant and the conscience of the ghetto. It fought for social justice, helped generations of immigrants to enter American life, broke some of the most significant news stories of the century, and was among the nation's most eloquent defenders of democracy and Jewish rights.

Also available in Yiddish (The Forverts) - http://yiddish.forward.com/

The Jewish Post of New York Online - http://www.jewishpost.com

The Jewish Week - Serving the Jewish Community of Greater New York - http://www.thejewishweek.com