One of the hardest times in the Jewish calendar is the period of the three weeks, culminating in the fast of Tisha B’Av. It’s a time when we do things to actively reduce our joy, as we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple. But as we try to connect, it can often be quite […]
The holiday of Shavuos celebrates one of the most famous converts in Jewish history – Ruth. When it comes to becoming a Jew, she is all in. She famously tells her mother-in-law, Naomi, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God […]
Dear Jew in the City, Were the Jews forced to accept the Torah? It was literally held over our heads and could seem to be given in such a way where we had no choice but to accept it. Sincerely, Simon Dear Simon, Thanks for your question. Let’s explain it. Exodus 19:17 says that […]
I wasn’t expecting my declaration of ‘it’s time to clean the car for Pesach’ to be met with a cheer of delight from my 4 year old. It stood out to me, in stark contrast to what I had been hearing from some of the women that I teach about how much they dread the […]
During the maggid portion of the haggadah, we recite Rabban Gamliel’s tripartite obligation of retelling our redemption from Egypt. Rabban Gamliel says one must refer to three symbolic elements of the seder: pesach, matzah, and maror. Pesach, as represented by the zeroa [shankbone], refers to the korban pesach [paschal lamb] that the Jews sacrificed in […]
Kadesh, urchatz, karpas…tzafun, barech, Hallel, nirtzah. Kiddush, washing, karpas…afikomen, grace after meals, Hallel… Many of us have been singing the steps of the seder for as long as we can remember – which is great if we want to remember what to do, but not so great if we want to think about why we […]
