Post Eitz Chaim (Tree of Life) by Safam Lyrics taken from Proverbs 3:17-18, and Lamentations 5:21… Read More
Post Reflections on the Sabbath of Comfort This past Sabbath, Jews around the world read from Isaiah 40. “Comfort, oh comfort My people, Says your God.” The Sabbath of Comfort occurs on the Sabbath immediately following the… Read More
Holiday Tisha B’Av Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of Av, commemorates the destruction of the first (587 BCE) and second (70 CE) Temples in Jerusalem, the exile of the Jews from the Land of Israel and Jewish tragedies and suffering throughout the ages. The Scroll of Lamentations, describing the horrors that accompanied the destruction of the first Temple, is read publicly at the beginning of the fast. Because fasting on Shabbat is prohibited (with the exception of Yom Kippur) when this fast falls on a Saturday it is postponed to Sunday. Read More
Post The Sin of Superficiality Though all Israelis are fully focused on winning the war against Hamas, some are quietly beginning to wonder: how could this have happened? “How has Hashem covered with a cloud… Read More
Post The Multifaceted Nature of Prayer There is an urban myth that Eskimos have 50 words for snow. I don’t know if that is true, but I do know that there are a lot of different… Read More
Post Respond to Suffering Like King David Throughout our lives, either for reasons we create, or for reasons unbeknownst to us, we experience tragedies, feel pain and suffer. Why?  This Jobian question disturbs us throughout our period… Read More
Post What is the Book of Maccabees? The Book of Maccabees is a collection of four volumes that recount the history of the Maccabees, the leaders of the Jewish rebellion against the Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes, and… Read More
Post Why is Israel trying to reintroduce ostriches into the wild? The ostrich is the largest living species of bird. It does not fly and has a distinct appearance, with its long neck, long legs and a large body. The Land… Read More
