Tisha B’Av
The saddest day on the Jewish calendar, the ninth of Av, is this Shabbat. Because of Shabbat, the normally observed Fast of the 9th of Av (Tisha b’Av) is pushed off until Sunday. The…
Love in the Liturgy
Most people would identify prayer as a vertical endeavor: Mortals communicating with God. Yet, as we will learn, there is a beautiful custom to begin our prayers by thinking horizontally,…
Whose First Fruits
When the Oral Law was first codified, most Jews lived in agrarian settings. Today, being less familiar with agrarian culture, some people find it difficult to relate to some of the…
Out of the Park
“This is not what a nice Jewish girl should be doing,” is a phrase that Thelma (Tiby) Eisen probably heard a lot when she was a young girl. Eisen was a passionate athlete with a plethora…
Say Shabbat Shalom
Life provides us with a plethora of opportunities to pronounce blessings. There are blessings on foods, blessings on doing a mitzvah, and even a blessing after using the restroom. Not all…
Chanukah Blessings
The Jewish people have said this prayer daily for thousands of years. On the first night of Chanukah, one candle/wick in oil is placed on the far right of the menorah. Each succeeding…
Pidyon Ha’ben – Redeeming the Firstborn
“You must redeem the firstborn of a person ... when he is one month old, for the value of five silver shekels” (Numbers 18:15-16). God sanctified the firstborn male Israelites when He…
All Vows
Yom Kippur begins this evening before sunset with the recitation of Kol Nidre, which is actually the prelude to the evening service. Kol Nidre, which literally means "All…
A Day Without Sleep
While Rosh Hashana is frequently translated as “new year,” the literal meaning of the Hebrew words is “head of the year.” According to Jewish tradition, one’s actions on these auspicious…
The Fast of the 17th of Tammuz
Everyone knows about Yom Kippur. There are, however, several other fast days on the Jewish calendar that are not nearly as well known, including the Fast of the 17th of Tammuz, which will…