Marinated Olives
On Tishah B'Av, Turning Remembrance Into Action
Tishah B'Av in a Time of Rockets, Tunnels, and Death
As I watched Israel's Iron Dome intercept a Hamas rocket, I began to get some insight into why we mourn on the Ninth of Av.
On a Day of Fasting, Remembering What We Share
Yesterday began the three-week period leading up to Tishah B’Av (August 4-5 this year), the darkest, saddest day on the Jewish calendar.
Songs and Videos for Celebrating Simchat Torah
Confronting Death is an Important Part of Life
If on Yom Kippur we rehearse our own death, then on Tishah B’Av (observed last month), we begin the annual process of preparing for death. The seven-week period from Tishah B’Av to Rosh HaShanah provides an opportunity to cultivate our souls, to reestablish our relationship with God, and to reconcile with ourselves and others. We transform the potentially passive experience of judgment into an active process of self-awareness, acceptance, engagement, and transformation.
From Maryland to Mexico: Rejoicing in the Torah
Learn what happened when a congregation in Ajijic, Mexico, contacted B’er Chayim Temple in Cumberland, MD, to see about acquiring a much-needed Torah scroll.
Teaching Children about Reducing Waste (Bal Tashchit)
The Thread that Connects the Tree of Life Synagogue, Kristallnacht, and Tishah B’Av
In the year since the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA, I’ve been thinking about the antisemitic thread that runs through the tragedy.