Money Matters

Embark on a journey of Jewish learning and discovery, exploring the depth of our Money Matters resources, where tagged items including audio, programs, and podcast episodes await your exploration.

RiM Woes

Rabbi Jay Kelman

As we have often noted, economic decisions reflect moral choices. As the world economy slowly recovers from near-catastrophe, another potential disaster looms in the horizon: that of the United States government defaulting on its debt. While…
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Moral Bailouts

Rabbi Jay Kelman

The sight of the CEO's of GM, Ford and Chrysler asking the Untied States Congress for 25 Billion dollars in aid as they flew to Washington on their private corporate jets highlighted the moral crisis which continues to wreak so much financial havoc…
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A Tribute to a Mentor

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Regardless of their personal piety (or lack thereof), Jewish law affirms that an almost superhuman level of respect be shown to our parents. What is less well known is that, in theory at least, one must display even greater honor to our teachers,…
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Agriprocessors and the Ethics of Kashrut

Rabbi Jay Kelman

The kashrut industry is about more than just food. In an industry where sales reach in the billions of dollars many of the largest food companies have sought and received kosher certification, seeing it as a way to increase profits. With the federal…
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A Tuition Plan

Rabbi Jay Kelman

In its current form, the day school system is unsustainable. With tuition increases consistently at between two and three times the rate of inflation, more and more parents are opting out of the system. Not unlike the financial crisis, where the…
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Election Issues

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Technological advances are rapidly changing the nature of almost all that we do. Many of the careers our children will pursue have yet to be invented.  The end results of the political rumblings of the Arab world are impossible to discern,…
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Prison Insights

Rabbi Jay Kelman

In an almost unbelievable application of the verse, “Love your neighbour as yourself”, our Sages teach that one must give a convicted killer a “pleasant death”. Even those who commit capital crimes are to be dealt with humanely.Thus, Judaism has no…
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A Perfect Game

Rabbi Jay Kelman

It is rare indeed to look to professional athletes for moral guidance. We learned long ago that the extraordinary talents they possess are manifest primarily in the physical realm. It should be no surprise that people who are worshipped by millions…
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An 'A' for Effort

Rabbi Jay Kelman

One of the key aspects of the world of business is the crucial importance of the bottom line. And that is the way it should be. The primary—and some would argue, only—goal of business is to make money, or as Milton Friedman famously noted, “the…
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Good Luck, Mr. Mayor

Rabbi Jay Kelman

In electing Rob Ford as mayor, voters in the city of Toronto have voted for change. Our mayor-elect has been most forthright in his plan of action, with a focus on the need to cut city spending. Yet despite the wide margin of victory and solid…
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