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How Midrash and Commentary Help Us Read Between the Lines
As Rosh HaShanah approached last year, I was living in southwestern China, where I celebrated by eating apples and explaining the Jewish New Year to my Chinese roommate.
Honoring the Innocent Victims of Conflict
The drama of Parashat Bo is mostly terrifying. The mounting confrontation between the Israelites – represented by Moses and Aaron (but really God) – and the Egyptians – represented by an unnamed Pharaoh – reaches its crescendo with the last three of the ten plagues. We should strive to remember all of the innocent victims on both sides of every conflict.
Galilee Diary: Uncertainty
by Marc Rosenstein
(Originally published in Galilee Diary and Ten Minutes of Torah)
Galilee Diary: On the Waterfront
He will take us back in love; He will cover up our iniquities, You will hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea. -Micah 7:19
Silver Seder Plate
Dear Jonathan, My father bought this silver seder plate about 35-40 years ago. The dealer told him it was from Pesaro, Italy and crafted of silver in 1614. It appears to be worn from use. Is it authentic? Sharon Rothmel, United Hebrew Congregation, St.
Lessons in the Mirror
Late in the evening of September 28, 2009, following very introspective and rewarding Yom Kippur services at Congregation Ohabai Shalom in Nashville, I took a hot shower and then stood, wrapped in a towel, in front of the bathroom mirror. As I brushed my teeth, I reflected on my experience of this most prayerful of days, when Jews throughout the world come to grips with their mistakes and seek atonement.
Wrestling with Forgiveness
It is very hard to say you are sorry – and even harder to really mean it. It is not any easier to truly forgive.
Sounds of Kol Nidrei
The melody that stirs the heart of Ashkenazic Jews is of unknown origin, but is part of a body of music known as "MiSinai melodies" that emerged in Germany between the 11th and 15th centuries.
When You Get Stuck in the Fish
Every Yom Kippur afternoon, we read the story of Jonah, perhaps because Jonah is the story of all of us.
Celebrate Rosh HaShanah with Shalom Sesame: Sounding the Shofar
Watch this Shalom Sesame video with your children and try these fun activities to explore and learn more about the shofar, Rosh HaShanah and the High Holidays!