Nisan 1 /April 8, 2016  Which was the first commandment (out of 613) that we were commanded as a people? RaShi began his commentary for the Torah by saying that the first ‘mitzvah’ was to begin a new calendar and a new year in the month of spring [Ex.12:2] This commandment is preceded by a […]

April 8th, 2016/29 Adar II 5776  In most cultures and for much of human history, there was no concept of sickness and disease as primarily a “medical” issue, as a problem with our physical bodies. A person did not get sick from bacteria, an infection or a disease. Instead it was often believed that sickness was […]

April 1st, 2016/22 Adar II 5776  Shemini Purim marks chaos. Everything is upside down: from the costumes; to the three cornered cookies; to Esther’s strange role; to the strategies for addressing threat; to the noise makers (graggors in Yiddish or Ra’ashanim in Hebrew) for blotting out the name of Haman (Evil). But as we move toward the Passover Seder […]

Oy, is it nice to have Purim! March 18th, 2016/8 Adar II 5776 Like so many other texts of our tradition, the Purim tale is one of survival and victory over oppression. We have our heros, Mordechai and Esther (and some would argue Vashti), who through creativity and strength manage to save their people and […]

March 4, 2016 Next week we celebrate International Women’s Day, a day which acknowledges the role that women have played in our society and recognizes the need for continued growth and change as we create a more just and equal world. In our community, this can be a time to reflect not only on women’s […]

12 lutego 2016/3 adar I 5776 WITH PARASHAT T’RUMAH WE ENTER INTO THE MISHKAN (TABERNACLE), THE PORTABLE TEMPLE THAT STOOD AS THE HEART OF THE ISRAELITE CAMP DURING THE YEARS OF WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS. IT ALSO SERVED THE ISRAELITES AS A TEMPORARY TEMPLE IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL UNTIL KING SOLOMON BUILT THE BEIT HA-MIKDASH […]