Blog

12/23/14 (Rosh Chodesh Tevet)

Barry Wiseman and Eleanor Rigby

Tomorrow morning will be Barry Wiseman's funeral. We only knew Barry over the last several years of his life, which were years of disability and struggle, mourning and loss. But these were years in which Barry was neither lonely nor lost. They were the years during which he developed the most enduring friendships of his life. They were his B'nai David...Read more...

Rav Yosef's remarks at the BDJ Memorial program on 10/6/24:

Perek 7 of the Book of Yirmiyahu finds Yirmiyahu standing at the entrance to the Beit HaMikdash, where he is proclaiming to all who are arriving there that God will only continue to dwell with them in the land – and protect them from the menace of Babylonia -  if they improve their ways and...Read more...

As Jews, we’re asked to do a lot of hard things. Maintain multiple sets of dishes,  provide our children with Jewish education,  leave the office at 2:00 on Fridays half the year, kitniyot.. But one of the hardest, in some years even more than other, is something we do today. When our tradition and our machzor require us to proclaim, with sincerity, enthusiasm and conviction, words that are hard to...Read more...

As the month of Av approaches here are some reminders and schedule items:

The Nine Days

Beginning Sunday night August 4th, we will transition from the "three weeks" to the "nine days." The conceptual difference between the two is that while during the three weeks we refrain from celebratory and musical events that are beyond the typical daily routine, during the nine days we diminish even simple everyday pleasures. In the...Read more...

Shevivim Cemetery

After Kibbutz Gvulot, we went to the Shevivim cemetery. In every cemetery there is a military section so that if a soldier from that community dies they can be buried with their community but also acknowledged properly in the military section. In this military section there are 29 temporary graves. Twenty nine of the 90 plus innocent civilians from Kibbutz Be’eri who died on Oct 7th are...Read more...

Agricultural volunteering:

First thing to know is that the need for agricultural volunteers is very real and the farmers you are helping are deeply appreciative.  They really are in a tough situation and the work you do has a direct impact on their livelihood and the Israeli economy in general.  It's really worth doing.

Second thing to know is that you can't find agricultural opportunities more than a week in advance...Read more...

What has struck me in these past few days that I’ve been in Israel is how things can feel normal and anything but normal simultaneously. From the moment I stepped into Ben Gurion Airport, greeted by large photos of the hostages and an empty arrivals hall, I felt a rush of intense despair and hope - swirling and conflicting emotions.

There is a lot that feels “normal” - the crowded train, the bustling streets and...Read more...

Friday, December 22nd will be the 10th of Tevet, an annual day of Tefilla, Tzedakah, and of fasting. It’s a day with deep historical roots, dating to when the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem in the 6th century BCE. But this year it is about something different. It is about calling out to God at a time of national crisis. It is about the chayylaim on the battlefield, the hostages wherever...Read more...

Coby is still in Kibbutz Zikim, a mile or two north of the border with Gaza. He and a small handful of men remain, while the other 800...Read more...

In a week of intense anxiety and sadness, I looked to the parsha for … something. It is not surprising that it was the rainbow that caught my attention.

Ramban considers but then sets aside the idea raised by some of the other commentaries, that God created the rainbow at this moment, to be the sign of His covenant with humankind going forward. Ramban insists that we have no choice but to follow the science that “the...Read more...

I want to tell you a little bit about my grandfather. My grandfather was born in Hamburg, Germany and escaped to Shanghai during the war. He lived in the ghetto and would often describe to us what Rosh Hashanah was like. He knew how to blow shofar and would go from area to area helping other people fulfill the mitzvah. That’s how he met my grandmother, he was in her neighborhood blowing Shofar on Rosh Hashanah. My grandmother was younger...Read more...

As the month of Av approaches here are some reminders and schedule items:

The Nine Days

Beginning Tuesday night July 18th, we will transition from the "three weeks" to the "nine days." The conceptual difference between the two is that while during the three weeks we refrain from celebratory and musical events that are beyond the typical daily routine, during the nine days we diminish even...Read more...

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023

One the days on which we Jews pray, repent, and fast is the 10th of Tevet. We chose this date as it commemorates the Babylonians having laid siege to Jerusalem, leading to its eventual destruction in 586 B.C.E. Interestingly, this fast (along with the 17th of Tamuz, Tisha B’Av and Tzom Gedalia) was suspended during the Second Temple period, and we...Read more...

Goodbyes are hard, but important. A chaplaincy mentor of mine once emphasized that when leaving a patient’s room, it is crucial to say ‘goodbye’. She explained that even if we think we can come back tomorrow, life can change in a second– especially in a hospital. As natural as it is to want to avoid it, we cannot squander the gift of closure. Including when it is bittersweet and tearful. Saying goodbye is not only a privilege, it’s...Read more...

 Candle Lighting: 

Who: The mitzvah of Chanukah is נר איש וביתו- one candle for each household. The Gemara gives the option to beautify the mitzvah by having each member of the household light one candle (mehadrin). The Gemara gives an additional way to beautify the mitzvah (mehadrin min hamedrin), which is to light an additional candle each night increasing in order for eight nights. This is our practice today,...Read more...