from Abraham Avinu to Abraham L . . . . Merely a disagreement or possibly, 'a house divided' While not exactly gospel, still, let's take this seriously . . From this week's section, Parsha: Deuteronomy 10:20 אֶת־יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ תִּירָ֖א אֹת֣וֹ תַעֲבֹ֑ד וּב֣וֹ תִדְבָּ֔ק וּבִשְׁמ֖וֹ … [Read more...]

To friends, students, and colleagues, After a bit of soul-searching, I have decided not to hold class today and yes, Tisha b'Av is on my mind. I had thought originally that it would be a good idea to do so, especially because Noah had summoned me to Camp Vistors Day and it would mean that we would … [Read more...]

Today -- 'Av is here, should we all beware' . . . destruction or opportunity? i.e. was this a destruction -- or was it an opportunity? And as for that so-called message of destruction and lamentation: "the lady doth protest too much, me thinks" Hamlet, Act III, Scene II Note: This phrase is used … [Read more...]

Black Sabbath: not meant to be overly complicated . . . This coming Shabbat is: Shabbat Chazon (Which can be translated as the "Sabbath of Vision" / שבת חזון) and is named for the "Vision of Isaiah over Judah and Jerusalem" (here: Isaiah 1:1-27). It s read as the Haftarah on this coming Shabbat … [Read more...]

Our hands . . . Where is the city of refuge now? What have we done . . . ? Pay attention, we are entering a time period of serious internal introspection among the Jewish people and among the Jewish communities of the world -- The Hebrew month of Av. -- A month of setback, a month of failure, and … [Read more...]

Cities of Refuge -- No Place to run to -- No place to hide . . . What is a 'place' of refuge? A place to 'hide away' or is it a place to 'bring us closer together'? ____________ Some of you may remember Rabbi David Wolpe as he grew up here in the Philadelphia area before going off to the … [Read more...]

Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award-winning actor, director, composer, and comedian, Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky) turns 97 today . . . (Can Humor be (simultaneously) both self-deprecating and medicinal? No, Mel is certainly not a snake, although he might have been somewhat of a … [Read more...]

Miriam dies: maybe that should have been the end of it. Do Rebels Ever Prosper? / Miriam as a rebel? / Perhaps depends on whom you ask. Here below, Henry the IV, Part l, SCENE V (5) -- "Rebels never Prosper" (Shakespeare), for our consideration: The rebellion quells, and Henry chides … [Read more...]

Words and Symbols have meaning and importantly, tremendous power This is what Rachav (Rahab) says: (note: symbolically and for the record -- the Bible understands her as an Egyptian god and as a symbol of Egypt -- although apparently, she wants to join with this Israelite people on their way … [Read more...]

Life on the fringes: People, places and our' wear-with-al* ' "What we wear and why -- maybe 'the cord' is meant to remind us of our not-so-secretive past . . . Numbers 16:37 -- are the cords an "allusion to our past pr-stitution?" יהוה said to Moses as follows: דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י … [Read more...]

Smoke on the Water(s) a fire in the sky . . . From the Haftara of Zechariah: “Take the filthy garments off him!” When do words, performances, and costumes cross the line to 'harm?' And for the record, what does clothing say about the man? Does clothing make the man . . . . Waters, 79, … [Read more...]

How do we pass on our values or even our identity? (Q: is it perhaps by 'tradition') Tevya: 'On the hand / On the other hand': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWGtjqv19ZA On the one hand, here is one way (below) to celebrate a young person's acceptance of or into the Jewish Tradition. On the … [Read more...]

The Biden White House, the Oath of God to the Jewish People at Shavu'ot along with the Progressives who seek to define that . . . 'the progressive's new and old antisemitism / and their awoke friends in high places . . . 'a pox on both their houses . . . . ' As we begin to celebrate Shavu'ot … [Read more...]

Shavuot 2023 / A Festival of 'Weeks' שָׁבוּעוֹת 5783 Is Ruth someone who allows herself to be used . . . 3:30 today -- is it Ruth or is it ruthless? The festival of Shavu'ot is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. Shavu'ot commemorates the anniversary … [Read more...]

Far below, please see the considerations of the current White House in regard to 'the' Definition of Antisemitism. What the Hell? Just whom can send whom to Hell -- while David is saved -- it is by his friend Jonathan, who had a lot to lose. The story of a young David being 'flung out' is … [Read more...]

Today is Mother's Day and we're dedicating this post to our mothers - past, present, and future - here below, an American Jewish classic: A Yiddishe Momme. The song, in English and Yiddish, is much sadder in the original Yiddish than in the English translation, (here) as the mother implicitly … [Read more...]

A Talmudic story for this evening's consideration -- re safety, sheltering, perhaps even hiding (Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai lived during the 2nd century in Israel, under Roman rule) 'The Talmud relates the following story: Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai spoke critically of the Roman government, … [Read more...]

The Ten Commandments: be aware of those who feign law, morality & ethics Beware the hand who dares to inscribe 'the writing on the wall' Daniel 4-5 (or for that matter, any writing, on any wall or any stone 'tablet' -- and for the record, not the Stone Chumash, and not the Apple … [Read more...]

Here we examine the 'People of Israel' (in Israel and outside of Israel) -- as we continue to take a closer look at the (long and arduous journey) of the Jewish people, "homeward bound" Jarring notation on the words bound and bond: or perhaps we could also understand this as "to be bound up in … [Read more...]

Joy, Memory and Loss A Jewish homeland, a Jewish mother, a son, and a mingling emotional Joy and emotional Sorrow Israeli Memorial Day Yom HaZikaron 2023 / יוֹם הַזִּכָּרוֹן 5783 Israeli Memorial Day remembers those who died in the War of Independence along with all those who have given their … [Read more...]

An essay, or a gnawing thought, for our consideration: Did it really happen -- who tells this story (who listens) -- and how it is used . . . (* see note from the Haggadah at very bottom of this page) A 'retelling of a story' is especially critical when the 'retelling' itself demands that we … [Read more...]

Here reminding us of the conclusion of the Passover Seder: "Next Year in Jerusalem" When we found ourselves trapped in a never-ending cycle of "Exile and Return" we said this: "If I forget thee Oh Jerusalem" Now we say this: "We have returned unto you, oh Zion" L’Chaim OG and Yedidia Jaiat … [Read more...]

A tale of two brothers, Yonatan and Bibi. One sacrificed himself for the sake of the nation. The other is sacrificing the nation for his own sake. This is not the first time we have seen this in our history. . . and sadly, it will not be the last. This evening: The Death of the First Born: A … [Read more...]

a Gathering Storm in the Land -- or is it over here, in our world. (is it the Chamsin or is it a sandstorm, one of which is bound to come)  Exodus 12:12  וְעָבַרְתִּ֣י בְאֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַ֘יִם֮ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַזֶּה֒ וְהִכֵּיתִ֤י כׇל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מֵאָדָ֖ם וְעַד־בְּהֵמָ֑ה … [Read more...]

The Writing on the Wall and the Passover 21st-century trends: Reimagining the American Jewish experience   https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/21st-century-trends-reimagining-the-american-jewish-experience/ Here are some thoughts (to be understood either as insights or data point … [Read more...]

When there was strife or an impasse in the Torah between the people and Moses and/or Aaron, the Israelites at times managed to come to a reconciliation . . . when the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah struggled with each other, internally, the true writing of the nation was 'on the wall . . … [Read more...]

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem   א  שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת, לְדָוִד: שָׂמַחְתִּי, בְּאֹמְרִים לִי--    בֵּית יְהוָה נֵלֵךְ. Psalm 122:1 A Song of Ascents; of David. {N} I rejoiced when they said unto me: 'Let us go unto the house of the LORD.' ב  עֹמְדוֹת, הָיוּ רַגְלֵינוּ--    … [Read more...]

Hamentaschen-Latka Debate at 7:00 PM Yes, friends, I will be representing the Lucky Latka Division -- and as many of you I am sure know by now -- the pathetic Hamentaschen are really nowhere's-ville -- As far as I am concerned, Haamentasch are just that: old hat. And as far as I know, who would … [Read more...]

When bad things happen to evil people: first we weep, then we breathe, but do we learn? We have looked at this before -- but it is good, especially on this coming "Shabbat of Remembering," to remember . . . yet again. I wasn't sure which 'Amalek' in particular to choose -- but seeing as this … [Read more...]

A difficulty with delineated 'boundaries' and perhaps even chaos . . . What is the Torah trying to tell us here: (for the text in question: see below at 'the bottom' of this email and think back to the crossing of the Red Sea -- a place of chaos) Is this about Gd and Moses . . . or is this … [Read more...]

Something to ponder on a day like today -- in a time 'like these times' and on a side note: here are the Eagles as foreseen by the Prophet: 'They shall run and not be weary . . .' לא  וְקוֹיֵ יְהוָה יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ, יַעֲלוּ אֵבֶר כַּנְּשָׁרִים; יָרוּצוּ וְלֹא יִיגָעוּ, יֵלְכוּ וְלֹא … [Read more...]

Who 'tells' what happened -- "our story" and how "we tell it" and the difference it all makes . . . Is this the story? -- really depends on who is telling the story When Israel was in Egypt's land Let my people go Oppress'd so hard they could not stand Let my people go Refrain: Go down, … [Read more...]

What do the documents say & the fine art of "dwelling in the dark" You may laugh and scoff, if it’s spooky I’m off At the first sign of something not right It’s true what I’ve said, I’m afraid of the dead And (the) things that go bump in the night (Shel Silverstein) "and there was a … [Read more...]

Jewish identity in an ever-changing world of identities -- is it a crime to claim it? Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8521122430?mc_cid=9a31d20c70&mc_eid=UNIQID#success Is it a crime in claiming "Jewishness" . . . after all, are we not unclear as to Moses' leanings . . . The … [Read more...]

Leopoldstadt? Vienna, Austria or the world -- a place of modernity, of culture and of refinement . . . . Historical fact: Vienna and all of Austria welcomed the Germans as liberators -- later only to claim themselves, as Austrians, to be victims. --- Just a moment's throw from … [Read more...]

Do words lead to final solutions . . . Cancel the words? Cancel the command? Cancel the person? "Just following orders" -- follow from a culture flowing with words of hate -- all of which tends to emanate from somewhere . . . And just "who" were these Hebrew midwives within this culture … [Read more...]

Jewish Space Lasers funded by the Rothchilds ("Lions Tigers and Bears, oh my . . "). Exodus Chapter 1:10: "Let us deal shrewdly with them so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground.” "They are just not … [Read more...]

'Jew-splaining' to the Jews' I have spoken of the various African American communities and individuals who claim that they are the real Israelites -- and no, it's not just Ye -- apparently, if you follow the Santos story -- it simply continues a continuing congressional virus as well . . . AOC … [Read more...]

Joseph -- (is) life but a dream . . . Joseph and Chanukah: the search for light in a world of darkness The story of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a tale that follows the journey of a dreamer. Joseph is the son of Jacob and one of twelve brothers. He is given a coat of many colors … [Read more...]

3:30: Begin the Beguine: Jacob as Israel: a return to the way things were or (divided as) a new path forward Some say: “Begin The Beguine” is a love song to a partner lost, asking to return to how things used to be . . . Begin the Beguine . . . And now when I hear people curse the chance that … [Read more...]

The newborn brothers -- of a brand New Moon of Kislev -- is/are almost upon us. Chanukah, a rather 'un civil war' at best. As time goes by . . . Moonlight and love songs Never out of date Hearts full of passion Jealousy and hate That no one can deny it's still the same old story A … [Read more...]

"Trouble ahead, trouble behind -- and you know that notion just crossed my mind . . ." כו  וַתַּבֵּט אִשְׁתּוֹ, מֵאַחֲרָיו; וַתְּהִי, נְצִיב מֶלַח. Genesis 19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. How (do) we understand the identity of Lot’s … [Read more...]

  כ  וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה, זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי-רָבָּה; וְחַטָּאתָם--כִּי כָבְדָה, מְאֹד. 20 And the LORD said: 'Verily, the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and, verily, their sin is exceeding grievous. כא  אֵרְדָה-נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה, הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ הַבָּאָה אֵלַי עָשׂוּ כָּלָה; … [Read more...]

Are African Americans re-emerging as pawns in a 'Ye' olde/new and ugly Game of Thrones . . . From the Parsha of Noah: Noah is angry at Ham, but lashes out at Ham with these words: "Cursed be Canaan . . . . " כב  וַיַּרְא, חָם אֲבִי כְנַעַן, אֵת, עֶרְוַת אָבִיו; וַיַּגֵּד … [Read more...]

To Eat and to Die in the Garden of Good and Evil . . בראשׁית ב:יו וַיְצַו יְ־‎הוָה אֱלֹהִים עַל הָאָדָם לֵאמֹר מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל. ב:יז וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת. Gen 1:10Genesis Ch 2: vs 16 And YHWH … [Read more...]

The lessons of Noah come flooding back but where's the Dove? -- The Raven, never more . The Hope . . . (Where's the Dove, where's the Rainbow) Genesis 9:15, 16 וְזָכַרְתִּ֣י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֤ר בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵ֛ין כׇּל־נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה בְּכׇל־בָּשָׂ֑ר וְלֹֽא־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה ע֤וֹד … [Read more...]

Is it good or is it bad . . . Kanye, slavery or freedom; the darkness of the past creeps back again . . . First, we see וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב in Genesis 1:10 and then (on the exact same day of creation) we see it again -- as if something unusual is happening -- could this allude to a … [Read more...]

What? --- Ushpizin! < -- even the mystical Kabbalists have a word to say on the subject. The Festival of Sukkot (Hebrew: סוכות or סֻכּוֹת, sukkōt, or the Festival of Booths, is one of the three festivals listed in the Torah, also known as the "Shalosh Regalim" -- 'times' when the Israelites … [Read more...]

So soon after Rosh Hashanah, we observe a 'fast day' . . . what could possibly happen that would merit such an observance? Incidentally, why do the Bride and Groom fast on the day of their wedding . . . very possibly, it is all a matter of life and death. The end of one life and the very beginning … [Read more...]

Taking Stock: A Market That Goes Up and Down -- nobody knows where . . .   It is estimated to be worth $500,000 to $1 million. Experts say the coin, a quarter-shekel piece featuring palm branches and a wreath and dated to A.D. 69, is among the rarest coins remaining from the bloody … [Read more...]

What is this and why is this -- and why is this now (i.e. in this week's Parsha)? יא  לֹא תִלְבַּשׁ שַׁעַטְנֵז, צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים יַחְדָּו.  {ס}   Deut 22: 11 Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together. {S} Oh, that's a relief - it's Shatnez Free - so don't sweat … [Read more...]

Every day of Elul? Shofar, so good? The beginning of the Shofar: is today the day? א  וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ, מִקְרָא-קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם--כָּל-מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה, לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ:  יוֹם תְּרוּעָה, יִהְיֶה לָכֶם. Number 29:1 And in the seventh month, on the first day of the … [Read more...]

Like a blessing for the Czar, let it be far far away from us . . . Can love and commitment (which have come into being), ever be broken? In the greater scheme of things, this is the month in which to think it over  . . .   This Friday evening through Saturday evening, Rosh Chodesh Elul 2022 … [Read more...]

Resurrection -- somewhat of a 'grave situation' (It falls on the Shabbat immediately preceding the new month of ELUL (or E.l.u.l: "I am for my beloved as my beloved is for me" -- "Ani l'Dodi v'Dodi li"). It is also a month in which we visit the graves of our loved ones, whom we consider to … [Read more...]

Memories Light the corners of my mind -- Misty watercolor memories of the way we were Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind --- smiles we gave to one another, for the way we were Can it be that it was all so simple then? or has time re-written every line? If we had the chance to do … [Read more...]

"How" a destroyed Temple might have appeared -- should it have been spared  . . .  This Shabbat (Sabbath) is 'Shabbat Nachamu' -- which, considering the historical and commemorative stories of this immediate last month, has come pretty much in the nick of time, however perhaps too late for this … [Read more...]

How is it that Jerusalem is both reunited and rebuilt and yet this book and its chant are still around . . . what is its purpose any longer? Lamentations ... "Our dancing is turned into mourning. נָֽפְלָה֙ עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשֵׁ֔נוּ אֽוֹי־נָ֥א לָ֖נוּ כִּ֥י חָטָֽאנוּ׃ The crown has fallen from our … [Read more...]

The period of the 'Three Weeks' in which we find ourselves . . . and it is often associated with blame and even messianism . . . There are serious issues associated with these 'three weeks' -- and they become even more serious from the beginning of the month of Av (this Thursday evening) for the … [Read more...]

A Jerusalem Visit in a Never Ending Time of Change Where are these women from and how did they get in there . . . In the Wilderness 27:6 (Book of Numbers) Tribal Allotments . . . And יהוה said to Moses, כֵּ֗ן בְּנ֣וֹת צְלׇפְחָד֮ דֹּבְרֹת֒ נָתֹ֨ן תִּתֵּ֤ן לָהֶם֙ אֲחֻזַּ֣ת נַחֲלָ֔ה … [Read more...]

Reading the future? There is a people that dwells apart, Not reckoned among the nations . . . What the Hell -- you hired a hitman to curse me? The Book of Numbers 22–25 (also known as "In the Wilderness") presents an intricate and carefully crafted story about Balak, the king of Moab, who … [Read more...]

"Neither before nor since has there ever been such a day, when the LORD acted on words spoken by a man." (Joshua 10:14) Note: asking Gd to make the sun and the moon stand still -- that's quite a trick for a mere mortal -- and it's explained 'somewhere' . . . So, welcome to the month of … [Read more...]

Our stories ~ Our truths ~ Side by Side / Miriam, the Spies, and our very own Rashomon . . . Juxtaposition, reframing and 'the art of many understandings . . . .' What do the Spies of this week have in common with Miriam? Why are they so close -- "side by side"? And just what is "the … [Read more...]

Watching 'our words' -- when we feel, and can we heal Numbers 12:12 אַל־נָ֥א תְהִ֖י כַּמֵּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר בְּצֵאתוֹ֙ מֵרֶ֣חֶם אִמּ֔וֹ וַיֵּאָכֵ֖ל חֲצִ֥י בְשָׂרֽוֹ׃ Please let her not be as if dead, emerge (ing) from its mother’s womb with half its flesh eaten away!” וַיִּצְעַ֣ק מֹשֶׁ֔ה … [Read more...]

G-d near? -- 'best beware' -- trouble 'a head' trouble behind Throughout the Bible, we are told to draw near to Gd -- and yet, we are also aware of the need to see danger (in this) closeness . . . . Gd is not easily managed nor manipulated. 'Drawing near' is danger, one we should be more … [Read more...]

At the very least, it's 'bound' to be interesting . . . ('im lo l'mala mizeh.') This Shabbat, in synagogues around the world, Jews will begin their study of the biblical Book of Numbers. The Book of Numbers contains some of the most important and consequential tales of Israel's journey through … [Read more...]

"Jews will not replace us" -- with them: from Ramses to Goshen and beyond . . . יב וְכַאֲשֶׁר יְעַנּוּ אֹתוֹ, כֵּן יִרְבֶּה וְכֵן יִפְרֹץ; וַיָּקֻצוּ, מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were … [Read more...]

7:00 -- The Plague lets up after 33 days . . . and then, a rather deadly "Mandate" . . . Tonight we will look more deeply into the original(s) of this important story . . . for it is "the story which always counts" "Lag BaOmer" this year begins at sundown tonight The ל״ג בעומר -- 33rd day of … [Read more...]

Lavush signon l'machshavah, "The garment is indicative of identity." What else does it say? Jewish travelers on a German plane -- dressed as Jews -- 'seams' as if fashion never goes out of style What does it say about Joseph's brothers who sell Joseph as a slave? What does it say about Potifar's … [Read more...]

Sergey V. Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said Hitler had Jewish roots . . . Are the Russian foreign minister’s comments antisemitic -- which makes me wonder, who gets to define what is and what is not antisemitism? Following an interview Mr. Lavrov gave on Sunday to an Italian television … [Read more...]

Mo'edim l'Simcha . . . Is this what is read on the Sabbath of Passover? (Is this our legacy? Is this the meaning of our lives?) "What's love got to do with it . . . What's love but a second-hand emotion? -- Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?" or this . . . Warm regards … [Read more...]

Seems like everyone is getting into the Act(s) or perhaps just 'putting in his own two zuzim' (i.e. his or her own two cents). "Expounding on the Passover/Exodus?" What's *the story* with the Seder -- or are we talking about Evil Egypt or Ruinous Romeo (Pax Romana)? And why would *anyone* stay up … [Read more...]

Dear everyone -- yes, this week we read of Elijah, this Passover, we open the door for Elijah, we welcome the newborn with the chair of Elijah, we usher in the new week with the chanting of welcome, to Elijah. How will we know . . . whom will we ask? It will come as no surprise, Elijah comes in … [Read more...]

(An earthly time of both) Heaven and Hell, In certain parts of the world, it's . . . . Black Sabbath They say that life's a carousel Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well The world is full of kings and queens Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams It's heaven and hell, oh well -- And … [Read more...]

Put in these terms: 'Can't touch this . . .' Sometimes you just cannot touch something that crosses a boundary or a border . . . You can't touch this . . . MC Hammer "My, my, my . . . my music hits me so hard, makes me say, "Oh my Lord bless my time . . . Thank you for blessin' me with a mind … [Read more...]

Dear everyone, (Be sure to read to the end, today -- it might be worth it this time). Below, note the words: "Eid Mar" . . . "Beware the Ides of March" Instead of our regularly Lerhaus Newshul gathering this evening, as it is the beginning of the Festival of Purim, our very own fellow … [Read more...]

Dear all . . . We and the World should be so fortunate this Purim . . . "Remember - Do not Forget . . . לֹא תִּשְׁכָּח" מִלְחָמָה, בַּעֲמָלֵק--מִדֹּר, דֹּר. . . . / Exodus 17:16 . . . There will be a (savage) war with Amalek from generation to generation. Could it be that Agag and Haman … [Read more...]

Please don’t let our country to be exterminated,” Zelensky said before signing off. “They deserve to live. Extermination, metaphor or reality . . . in: "As You Like It" All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study MaterialsSpecial to the Washington Post / National  Few American Jews are non-White, but a new poll shows that is likely to change . . . . . . . what will it require for us to remain together as a ‘people’ -- what will be the dimensions of our identity and our future -- and … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study MaterialsJune 18, 2021 / Variety Magazine Can we as Jews live with ‘others’ telling us who we are and what we are -- ‘Jewish Identity’ -- Who determines it -- Who defines it . . . Too Jewish For Hollywood: As Antisemitism Soars, Hollywood Should Address Its Enduring … [Read more...]

Download Materials - Biblical References Download Materials - The Pew StudyWashington Post / May 11, 2021 ReligionNew poll: Young U.S. Jews becoming more Orthodox as American Judaism splits between devout and secular Young U.S. Jews are far more Orthodox than their parents or grandparents, a … [Read more...]

Download Materials - Torah Quotes  Download Materials - GoysplainingDonna Brazile, former chair of the Democratic National Committee, writes in the Wall Street Journal regarding the rise of antisemitism in the United States today. Of course, please note that there is a serious rise in … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials 'Neighborhood Bully' Bob Dylan turned 80 on Monday as the People of Israel now approaches 4,000 years. This is painful to people who hate Jews, and hide behind hating Jewish Israel . . . the Gd of Israel, the land of Israel and the people of Israel . . . Happy … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study MaterialsDepending on when you receive this email, we would be remiss if we didn't include in the class-notes-attachment what we now know as the second sacred and historical festival of the Jewish calendar. We have spent an inordinate amount of time in our gatherings pouring … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials In honor of Shavu'ot this Sunday evening, I wanted to introduce a new young Israeli singer, songwriter, and composer from the town of Ashdot in Israel, Yuval Dayan (יובל דיין).  When she was interviewed about this song, she said that it was inspired by what Ruth had … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials Pirke Avot Chapter 2, Siman 5 . . . וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִיש: In a place where there is no man, strive to be a man . . . in Yiddish: 'zai a mensch' in a place where no one is . . . In a world devoid of humanity, Israel as a … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials There is nothing new coming from many political and 'religious' quarters of the world, all claiming Israel as racist and further pushing forward the claim of Israel as an apartheid state. I think our ancestor Ruth would find that to be simply incredulous. We have … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials Not 80 years have gone by since an attempt at an almost full destruction of the Jewish people -- and yet both in Israel and abroad, there have arisen an outpouring of new expressions of Jewish culture, all of which are emerging from what one might describe as from … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials The Israeli Independence Day (יום העצמאות,Yom Ha'atzmaut) --Jewish Miracle or Jewish Blasphemy The Israeli Independence Day (יום העצמאות, Yom Ha'atzmaut) is a day commemorating the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. It is 'marked' by official and … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials Church membership in the U.S. has fallen below the majority for the first time in nearly a century Full article from the Washington Post here: From the Washington Post: Religion (Where it says Church, read also Synagogue) … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials The Torah, The Nevi'im and the Ketuvim -- The TaNaKh -- תנ’’ך Some people call it the Old Testament and some people call it the Bible. We call it the Tanakh, the unbreakable Covenant between Gd and the people Gd has chosen to be his people. Israeli archeologists … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials Below is a briefer version of an article which appeared in the New York Times this past week. At first glance, it appears as a newsy or perhaps as a political update in the ongoing religious tensions and conflicts among the various Jewish communities in … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials In the same week we read in the Torah of The Red Heifer, we are forced to confront its' child, a Calf of Gold (i.e. the Mask of Masecha) / the contrast, like the sheen of Gold, is blinding. The image of a lethal Golden-touch stretches back millennia, even to … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials Ahasuerus, Haman & Mordechai / Assassination and Lynchings in Shushan Either we all hang together, or perhaps we will all hang separately . . . Here's a truth: targeted assassinations and their equally evil stepchild, 'high tech lynchings' change history, … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials Two days after Mr. Kinzinger called for removing Mr. Trump from office following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, 11 members of his family sent him a handwritten two-page letter, saying he was in cahoots with “the devil’s army” for making a public break with the … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials Anti Semitism today (as if it were different from yesterday). Our good friends from YidLife Crisis discuss, in the Yiddish of our own times, antisemitism. Download Weekly Study Materials … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study MaterialsDear everyone, Today we have a video clip of 'British-keit' from our friends at YidLife Crisis, who I might add have been very helpful in parsing out and in assisting us with some of the more difficult nuances of our Yiddish-common-parlance, along with the … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials Reform, Conservative, Haredi — it’s all in the family (This week, Joseph, Mayim Bialik, YidLife Crisis and . . . Benji) Here below are Robyn's reflections, published in the Forward, on Life with Benji. (note: for the record, Benji's Yiddish is quite good) . . … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials Dear everyone, This week, it's the Menorah which readily comes to mind. Not because we're discussing seized Jewish art in light of the 'reluctance' of European governments and institutions to even consider 'return,' but because of the importance of possessing … [Read more...]

Anne Frank – is she still Jewish or is she owned by the Dutch. . . Download Weekly Study Materials Friends, I am always intrigued when the subject of Holland or the Netherlands comes up in conversation. As you know, and as the story goes, the Dutch as feted, heroically saved their Jews in … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials Dear Everyone, We have been honest in our usage of 'History' especially with the added benefit of ‘intertextual’ studies. Once we place the various accounts of history alongside of each other, almost like a ‘Barnes Arrangement,’ a new understanding tends to … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study MaterialsDear everyone, COVID-19 first started as a public health crisis and quickly morphed into one of the worst economic crises we have experienced since the Great Depression. It has also created one of America’s worst hunger crises that we have seen in … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials Dear everyone, The great non transition of our government continues to proceed alarmingly apace with very little let-up in sight. I am not sure how this non transition can possibly be construed as good for America and for what we all face together as a nation at … [Read more...]

Download Weekly Study Materials 'The Handwriting on the Wall' We are going to a slightly different format this week. Immediately below are the materials for this week's Torah Study which includes an actual picture of a wall of the Barnes Museum in order to better demonstrate the idea of … [Read more...]

Here we have something we have not seen before, we have ‘a man given a plan and a blessing.’  But before we begin to extol the great blessing bestowed upon our new(ist) hero Abraham, let us at the very least understand the context in which he emerges. We have spent an inordinate amount of time … [Read more...]

We find ourselves in the midst of the Torah's beginning cycles -- somewhere between reading about 'Noah and the Flood' on the one hand and Abraham and the challenges he meets on the other.  It is of special interest to us that Noah is depicted in such superlative terms, especially in that his … [Read more...]

David Takes a Census 1 Chronicles 21 (parallel text: 2 Samuel 24) Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the people of Israel—from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the … [Read more...]

So, in essence, this Haftarah -- of the day before the new moon -- is the Story of David and Jonathan . . . and here is a brief set up, before the haftarah begins: David runs to Jonathan. “Jonathan, your father is still trying to kill me.” The haftarah starts here: “Tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh. … [Read more...]

Although Hoshana Raba may technically be the “last day of Sukkot, the Rabbis (not the Rabbis of the Talmud, rather much later, the Rabbis called ‘the Geonim,’ (< -- yes, they were the Babylonian rabbis) decided to treat Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah as part of Sukkot. Essentially, they … [Read more...]