Ask the Rabbi
When you have questions about Jewish law and observance, be sure to ask your rabbi for guidance. When a person seeks religious or spiritual guidance, it requires not only erudition in…
For The Dogs
Today is National Puppy Day. The domestication of dogs is as old as…well, actually, there are varying scientific opinions. The remains of what seem to be domesticated dogs appear among…
Challah Time
Enjoy fresh challah tonight for Shabbat and remember to dip it into salt before eating. We know that salt had to be placed on sacrificial offerings in the Temple, and some commentaries…
The Passover Story in Brief
On Passover, we commemorate the exodus from Egyptian slavery. The following is a brief summary: Jacob’s family came to Egypt to escape a famine in Canaan. Joseph, Jacob’s son who had…
Make it a “Great Shabbat”
Celebrate Shabbat Hagadol by learning more about Passover traditions and rituals. On this Shabbat HaGadol, the Haftarah, drawn from the final book of the prophets, Malachi describes that…
Seek the Answer
The Four Questions (Mah Nishtana – What makes it different?) is one of the most famous features of the Passover seder. In Ashkenazi homes, these four questions are recited by the youngest…
Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day
Yom Hashoah, is observed each year on the 27th of Nissan, which is today. Jews around the world will mark Yom Hashoah (Officially Yom Ha’zikaron La’shoah V’ha’g’vurah, which translates to…
Preserve Your Surroundings
Take a moment to appreciate the beauty of our surroundings and consider what steps we can take to preserve it in its most pristine condition so it can be enjoyed for generations to come.…
Transparent Honesty
Be honest in your dealings with all people. In Tractate Shabbat, 55A, we are taught, Chotamo shel Hakadosh Baruch Hu emet, that the seal of God is truth. At the beginning of the third…
Lag Ba’Omer
The period of mourning* (for the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who died of plague) that is associated with Sefirat Ha’Omer, is observed on the 33rd day of the Omer, a day known as Lag…