As promised, I am posting the D’var Torah from another teacher, this time Dena Weiss from Mechon Hadar. I hope you enjoy her take on Noah. For me, the eternal question – was Noah a true tzaddik or just better than everyone in that generation, is answered with a strong – true tzaddik! How many times can we stand to…
Category: Jewish Stories
New Year – New Way of Blogging
Last year, right at the start, I have made a sort-of-promise to write a small something for every Parshah of the year. I did it in memory of my loved ones, and in newly found understanding that some people, actually, are interested in things I have to say, be it Torah, some mini-poetry, or just…
Roller-Coaster During Yamim Noraim / ימים נוראים
These Days of Awe – ימים נוראים have been very challenging for me so far. Is the Universe trying to tell me something that I refuse to hear? Right after Rosh haShana my body started to give in somehow. Yesterday, I decided to defy the pain and walk to a Community Beit Midrash Kick off at Mechon…
A Reading Day or Gush Katif Forever?!
Today was a reading day for me. Sometimes, I get to spend a day in bed getting out of it for a glass of water moving about the apartment like a zombie, a pain here, a pain there. No big deal if someone is used to it like I am. Thank G-d, it’s not often…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses Ha’azinu / האזינו
This one is a short work week, and with all the holiday cooking and prepping, I do not see a chance for me to write any thoughtful d’var Torah. I have decided to leave you with the words of my colleague, Dr. Ackerman, again, as I don’t think I can say anything better. The only thing…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Ki Tavo /כִּי-תָבוֹא
We are commanded to bring the first fruits of our labor “unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there” and speak to our Gd: י וְעַתָּה, הִנֵּה הֵבֵאתִי אֶת-רֵאשִׁית פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר-נָתַתָּה לִּי, יְהוָה; וְהִנַּחְתּוֹ, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ. 10 And now, behold, I have…
Just an Article About Jewish Food
Right when I was giving a recipe for knafe, someone posted an old article from Forward, the paper that I read very rarely as I have lots of disagreements with its usual stand. This time, the article was about food, so I couldn’t possibly pass that over, especially that it was talking about foods mostly…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses Shoftim / שֹׁפְטִים
People think about different things when their minds drift away from the task at hand. Being super busy now at work, I somehow still always manage to find my way to Israel in my mind. And today I am missing it so much it hurts. Maybe one of the reasons is that here, in the…
Just One Verse in the Dread of New York Summer
Over Shabbat I was trying to walk. All I could master was a few blocks to Ocean Parkway, where I found no relief and the same few blocks back home. All I could think of was my walk to the Grand Synagogue of Jerusalem two summers ago. The heat was much worse. The air was…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses Re’eh / ראה
This is a Parshah of choices. To go right or left. To live or to die. To walk straight or in curved lines. כו רְאֵה, אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם–הַיּוֹם: בְּרָכָה, וּקְלָלָה. 26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: כז אֶת-הַבְּרָכָה–אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְעוּ, אֶל-מִצְוֹת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם, הַיּוֹם. 27 the blessing, if ye…
FORGET ABOUT KOREA, REMEMBER HEZBOLLAH and its patron IRAN!
Originally posted on scriptoris:
Whilst the world is understandably distracted by the brinkmanship of the North Korean dictator, it is worth noting that the real threat comes from Iran and its proxies, notably Hezbollah. One might say that is so for Israel, but not so for the US or even Europe. But wait, one matter…
How this 650-year-old French synagogue withstood centuries of anti-Semitism
I decided to re-blog this article about a historical shul. Pretty Amazing! CARPENTRAS, France (JTA) — The synagogue in this Provence town is Western Europe’s oldest functioning Jewish house of worship — and one of the prettiest on the continent. The Synagogue of Carpentras, which this year is celebrating its 650th anniversary, has a Baroque-style interior…
Noshing Across the Nation 