by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 22, 2022 | Blog, DI
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz When I first started my journey toward “being religious”, I was concerned about the prayers on Rosh Hashana. During the rest of the year, we bow at the waist while reciting the Aleinu prayer. But on Rosh Hashana, we prostrate ourselves fully,...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 15, 2022 | Blog, DI
By Chaim Barzel The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth, told the following story: “It happened in one synagogue in London that the chazzan (cantor) on Shemini Atzeret (Eight Day of Assembly) began saying LeDovid Hashem Ori...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 30, 2022 | Blog, DI
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz Judaism has clear traditions of mourning, but when a tzaddik (righteous man) dies the anniversary of their passing becomes a day of celebration. The Zohar teaches, “A tzaddik who passes away is present in all worlds even more than during his...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 28, 2022 | Blog, DI
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz Anticipation and preparation are two words I have always had difficulty with. In Yeshiva (Jewish school for Torah learning), my rabbi called me “do-ish.” I have a tendency to jump right in and figure things out as I go along....
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 11, 2022 | Blog, DI
The fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Av is a post-biblical holiday. According to Jewish tradition, it is one of the happiest days of the year, as the Mishna states: “Israel had no holidays as joyous as Tu B’Av (the 15th of the Hebrew month of Av) and Yom Kippur...
