Are you ready to hear a chilling story about Purim? Let’s take it back to the Talmud to start – the book of the Talmud connected to Purim. Jacob said before the Holy One, “Do not grant Esau the wicked the desire of his heart.” This refers to Germamya, a royal province of Edom, who […]
Editor’s Note: This article discusses witchcraft, which is one of the three cardinal sins in Judaism. Tu B’Shvat and witches are an unlikely pair but the two have roots that go farther back than one may think. Interest in witchcraft has been rising in the last few decades, particularly among women, millennials, and minorities. There already was […]
Secure attachment (something only 38% of Americans report having) is a term I was vaguely familiar with, but have learned about in more depth through my work in Makom. Our go to book at Makom was recommended by our Director of Member Services, Ben Madsen, PsyM and is called “The Emotionally Absent Mother: How To Recognize and […]
Ani l’doni v’dodi li – I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me. (Song of Songs 6:3) The Hebrew letters at the start of these four words form the word Elul, the name of the month preceding Rosh Hashana. With the “beloveds” at the center of Song of Songs being metaphors for […]
This class was originally given to the members of Makom, a branch of Jew in the City which helps disenfranchised charedi Jews find their place in Orthodoxy. Fayga Leah Landau is a beloved Satmar Chasidic teacher mentor who has spoken for Makom on numerous occasions.
The great violinist Itzhak Perlman contracted polio at the age of four, and for his entire life he had to wear metal braces and use crutches to walk. One time, the great violinist came out on stage, and as he was tuning his violin, one of the strings snapped. Instead of asking for another string, […]
