by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 22, 2023 | Ruth, Shavuot (Pentecost)
By Rabbi Tuly Weisz Every year, the Jewish people read the Book of Ruth on the holiday of Shavuot (Pentecost), which falls out towards the end of May or early June. Shavuot is one of the three central pilgrimage festivals, and is the day when the Jewish people...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 21, 2023 | Ruth, Redemption
By Rabbi Elie Mischel Though the Book of Ruth is a personal story describing tragic and heroic individuals, it is a personal story with national implications. The extraordinary kindness that Ruth, Boaz and Naomi show to one another leads to the union of Ruth and Boaz...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 21, 2023 | Psalms, Prayer
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz 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 words in Hebrew used to describe the same spiritual thing. For exmaple, there are seven names for God in...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 20, 2023 | Psalms, Tests and Trials
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz I hate tests. I never understood the point of throwing a difficult problem at someone in order to see what they know or what they can do. As a teacher, I preferred to sit down with my student and discuss the material. In that manner, I...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 20, 2023 | Psalms
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz I am always amazed that there seems to be a specific Psalm for every occasion and situation. David must have been in constant dialogue with God. This reminds me of the character of Tevye in the musical Fiddler on the Roof. He was always...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 19, 2023 | Psalms, Free Will
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz My best friend, Jack, is a no-nonsense person who isn’t interested in engaging in philosophical or spiritual discussions that he perceives as pretentious or pompous. While I appreciate his straightforwardness, I am always thankful that,...
