Author Archives: Alyssa Blumenthal

Traditional Jewish teaching encourages an individual to study the week’s Torah portion three times throughout the week- twice in Hebrew, and once in translation. Why in translation? Because though Hebrew is the original language of the Bible, we understand that … Continue reading →

As someone who has long been interested in religion, I found it fascinating to read about Christianity’s role in Fuzhou. Christianity, among the Chinese, is so much more than just spiritual enlightenment. Members of both Catholicism and Protestantism, since 1949, … Continue reading →

New York City is an enormous entity. Between its five boroughs and countless communities, each segment of the City is infused with a personality all of its own. There is both an anonymity and an intimacy. You could walk the … Continue reading →

Susan Slyomovics, in her “New York City’s Muslim World Day Parade”, offers an interesting commentary on Islam. She explains that, especially during the Muslim World Day Parade, Islam becomes more than simply a religion. It is “perceived by New Yorkers … Continue reading →

In the final chapter of her Guadalupe in New York, Galvez writes, “For some Mexican immigrants crossing the border, devotion to Guadalupe is qualitatively transformed and transforming so that while they may have always believed in her, now they need … Continue reading →

Guadalupe in New York discusses more than just the faith of Mexican immigrants. It discusses more than just the Lady of Guadalupe and their devotion to this icon. While these are all important elements of Guadalupe, I found the most … Continue reading →

I think most of us would agree that family is important. In the true sense of the word, a family is a unit of comfort and security. It is a community of people who support and love each other. Even … Continue reading →