Joined Together as One

Recognize that the significance of picking up the Four Species together at once represents the symbolic joining together of all Jews regardless of background and level of prior Jewish…

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Singing Praises

“…The prophets of the Jewish people ordained that the Hallel be recited on special occasions and celebrations [like Yom Tov], and at times of national deliverance from peril, in gratitude…

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Israel Under Fire

Once again, the State of Israel is under siege having been attacked by terrorists whose very purpose is to inflict pain and suffering upon thousands of innocent victims. We are devastated…

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North Star State’s First Jewish Senator

Rudolph Ely Boschwitz was born on November 7, 1930, in Berlin, Germany to his Jewish parents Lucy (Dawidowicz) and Eli. When he was 3, coinciding with Hitler’s rise to power, the…

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A Diplomat to Romania

In July 1944, it was announced that a new Liberty ship under construction was to be named for Benjamin Franklin Peixotto (November 1834-September 1890). The descendant of a distinguished…

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Special For Chanukah: The Chanukah Blessings

Tonight, 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…

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This is Chanukah

Tonight is the eighth and final night of Chanukah. After the flames die down, many people will pack up the menorah and think little about the holiday again until next year. However, the…

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My Father. Our Father

Many well-known Jewish songs are based on words from the Bible. While a vast majority of them are based on Tehillim (Psalms) one of the most famous is almost a direct quote from Genesis:…

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Love and Reverence

This Shabbat, think about all the wonderful gifts that you have been given by our Father in heaven. When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers with the words “I am Joseph,” why did he…

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Painting Our People

Born on December 26, 1902, in Rahachow, Belarus (in the Pale of Settlement), Anatoli Lvovich Kaplan was a Jewish painter who celebrated his Jewish heritage and the Jewish world in his…

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