This Day is Honored
Shabbat meals, like many aspects of Jewish life, are a beautiful synthesis of our physical and spiritual selves. Physically, we enjoy delightful feasts at which our most beautiful…
Like Clay in the Hand of the Potter
One of the most metaphoric and beautiful piyuttim (poems) included in the Yom Kippur prayer service is Kee Hinei Kachomer. In English, it is known as “Like the Clay…
The Blessings of the Amidah: Shalom
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The theme of the final blessing is peace. The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, is related to the Hebrew…
Chanukah Blessings
On the first night of Chanukah, one candle/light is placed on the far right of the menorah. Each succeeding night, one candle/light is added to the left of the previous night's…
The Blessings of the Amidah: On Behalf of the Righteous
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The thirteenth blessing is the opposite of the one before; it is a prayer for the righteous, with the…
Special For Chanukah: The Chanukah Blessings
On the first night of Chanukah, one light is placed on the far right of the menorah. Each succeeding night, one light is added to the left of the previous night's candle(s). The newest…
The Blessings of the Amidah: Redemption from Difficulties
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The seventh blessing addresses our need for help, our need to be redeemed from difficult situations.…
Sabbath Prayers: Va’y’choo’loo / And they were finished
A direct quote from the Torah (Genesis 2:1-3), this paragraph is recited aloud in synagogue by all present following the completion of the silent Amidah, (after having been recited…
Sabbath Prayers: V’Shamru/And They Shall Guard
A direct quote from the Torah (Exodus 31:16-17), the following two verses are often recited aloud as part of the Friday night service. It is a reminder that Shabbat is a sign of the…
What Are We Reading?
Those familiar with synagogue ritual know that there is a weekly Torah reading cycle. In the Fall, there are the inspiring stories of creation and the history of the origins of the Jewish…