Shabbat Day Songs
Zmirot are the songs that celebrate the holiness and beauty of Shabbat. There are designated zmirot for each of the three Shabbat meals, and even post-Shabbat zmirot. Two of the most…
A Maccabee Who’s Who
Mattityahu (Mattathias): A High Priest descended from the Hasmonean line, Mattityahu lived in Modi’in with his five sons. Mattityahu started the rebellion against the Syrian-Greeks…
Hoshana Rabbah
Rosh Hashana is known as the Day of Judgment (Yom Hadin), the day on which God judges the world. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the day on which God finalizes His verdict on the…
It’s A Chanukiyah!
The menorah, the symbol of the holiday of Chanukah, is actually a misnomer! “Menorah” is the name of the great seven-branched candelabra that was built in the wilderness following…
The Book of Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah describes the final 40 years of the Kingdom of Judah. Jeremiah was a reluctant prophet, whose first prophecy came when he was still young, but God said that He would…
Nu, Don’t Eat
A popular joke: Most Jewish holidays can be subsumed under the pithy phrase: “They tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat!” For a nation obsessed with food, what’s with all the fasting?While…
But Wait…There’s More
Now that the Jewish people have repented on Yom Kippur and, hopefully, received Divine forgiveness, it is time to sit back and relax... Just kidding! It is time to celebrate! Just…
A Controversial Prayer
The final prayer recited at all three daily prayer services is Aleinu, a beautiful poem expressing the greatness of God, the only God. The prayer begins with the phrase: “Aleinu…
It’s A Chanukiah!
The menorah, the symbol of the holiday of Chanukah, is actually a misnomer! “Menorah” is the name of the great seven-branched candelabra that was built in the wilderness following…
Hear O Israel
"Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one!" Articulate it please! Say it out loud - slowly, deliberately...ahh, now, that’s the way to say the Shema. This first line of the…