The mezuzah, a religious object first used by nomadic Israelites wandering in the desert 4000 years ago, is being used by an American Jewish astronaut on his travels into outer space in 2008. Gregory Chamitoff will place mezuzahs on the door post near his bunk aboard NASA’s Discovery shuttle. Chamitoff says the mezuzahs will serve as constant reminders of his home and of his Jewish identity during his six-month-long stay on the International Space Station.

_{Image courtesy of NASA}

All over Israel, kids can be seen roaming the streets in search of wood. The kids are getting ready to celebrate Lag B'Omer (May 23, 2008) with giant bonfires. They will cook hotdogs, potatoes, onions and marshmallows in the fires. The more ambitious will make their own pita bread. They will sing songs around the fires. The older kids will stay up all night with their friends, guitars and sleeping bags by their fires. Fire, fire, fire. The whole country will be blanketed with bonfires. It must be quite a sight from an airplane. And in the morning, the whole country will smell of smoke. The Land of Milk, Honey and Smoke. I wonder if Herzel knew how much fun a Jewish State would be!

_{Photo © 2006 Lisa Katz, licensed to About.com, Inc}

These Jewish parents feel hurt when their Jewish son wears a cross given to him by his Christian wife. See Reform Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser's helpful advise to these parents.

The "Who is a Jew" issue has become one of the most controversial issues in Jewish life today. Read how the definition of who is a Jew has changed over time and varies today among the different Jewish denominations.

One who is not born a Jew, can become a Jew via a process of conversion. In the 20th century, however, the different Jewish denominations began to disagree about the content of the conversion process.

Dear Rabbi Goldwasser,
I am African-American. My grandmother converted to Judaism as a young woman. She raised my mother as a Jew, however, as an adult my mother converted to Christianity. Am I Jewish?
Denise

Dear Rabbi Simmons,
I thought that orthodox Judaism believes that one who is born a Jew can not forfeit his/her identity as a Jew no matter what he/she believes. If so, then shouldn't some Messianic Jews (with Jewish mothers) be considered Jews? Furthermore, is a Jew still considered Jewish if he/she follows the teaching of Buddha?
Thank you.

These sites for Jewish women focus on the interests and concerns of Jewish women today. Do Judaism and feminism conflict? How do Jewish women feel about their role in Jewish prayer and ritual? What challenges do Jewish mothers face? Find information from Jewish women's health issues to favorite books.

Did you know that hundreds of years before the birth of America's Mother's Day (Woodrow Wilson signed a bill in 1914 recognizing Mother's Day as a national holiday), Jews already had their own Mother's Day? The 11th day of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan (October/November), known as the day on which the Jewish matriarch Rachel died, was regarded as a sort of Jewish Mother's Day. No matter the date, the important thing is that mothers are celebrated. In celebration of Jewish mothers everywhere, this Jewish Mothers page was created.

Photo © 2006 Lisa Katz, licensed to About.com, Inc

I liked what Dalia Itzik said in honor of Israel's 60th. There are countries in the world that are wealthier, quieter and bigger than Israel, but there is no country in the world with a story of success like Israel's. In honor of Israel's 60th birthday, enjoy these wonderful online multimedia tributes:

• ISRAEL21c's "The Faces and Places of Israel
• Aish.com's "Israel Then & Now - 60 Years in 60 Seconds"