by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 22, 2024 | Beshalach, Holiness, Kindness and Compassion
In the Torah portion of Beshalach (Exodus 13:17-17:16) we read about the miraculous Splitting of the Sea. Emerging triumphantly from the Red Sea, the Israelites sang the ‘Song of Moses’, a heartfelt ode of gratitude. This song encapsulates their profound...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 9, 2023 | Holiness, Israel, Metzorah, Purity, Repentance
This week’s Torah portion describes the purification of a recovered metzora, or leper, by the priest through a specific procedure involving two birds, spring water stored in an earthen vessel, a piece of cedar wood, a scarlet thread, and a bundle of hyssop. Tzaraat,...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 19, 2023 | Community, Freedom, God, Happiness and Joy, Holiness, Psalms, Responsibility, Tests and Trials
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz A long time ago, I worked as a cook in exclusive restaurants in Manhattan. I once got a special order for a lunch party of ten young businessmen celebrating their success. They were all under thirty years old and they had each achieved a...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 9, 2023 | Fear of God, Holiness, Israel, Prayer, Psalms, Purity, Temple
By Rabbi Avraham Norin The Ariel Center is a small museum, hidden within the winding alleyways of the Old City of Jerusalem. Out of all the incredible museums Jerusalem has to offer, this one has a special place in my heart. The museum’s focus is the First...
by Rabbi Pesach Wolicki | f 9, 2023 | Holiness, Shabbat, Yitro
In the course of my work, I frequently conduct Bible studies in Christian churches and seminaries. One of my main goals in these teachings is to sensitize my audience to the precise meaning of the text. Anyone who has heard me teach will be familiar with my constant...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 12, 2023 | God, Holiness, Psalms
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz In 1991, I moved to Israel and my journey back to God began. I was, what they call in Jewish circles, a baal teshuva (master of return). I moved to Sde Eliyahu, a religious kibbutz, and due to the hot climate of the Jordan Valley and the...
