The Food of Yom Kippur
Food on Yom Kippur? Isn’t Yom Kippur the most famous fast day on the Jewish calendar?"One who eats and drinks on the ninth, is considered by the Torah to have fasted on both the ninth and…
Rav Kook
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935) was appointed as the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Palestine in 1921. A few years later, he founded the World Central Yeshiva, now known as Merkaz…
Say Shabbat Shalom
NJOP stands in solidarity with the Squirrel Hill community in Pittsburgh and expresses its profound condolences to the members and families of the Tree of Life Congregation who lost their…
Fast of the Firstborn
There has always been a lot of pressure on firstborn children, as they were often expected to care for the family property or business in order to ensure stability within the community.…
Ushpeezin (Oo’shpee’zin)
During the festival of Sukkot, the sukkah is intended to be our home. For example, since one would normally dine in the house, on Sukkot one dines in the sukkah. Because the sukkah is…
Tap on the Head
The history of the Jews of Spain is one of glory and fear. By the end of the 15th century, Jewish life was something celebrated in dark cellars with the ever-present fear of discovery.…
In the Wilderness
The Torah was given to the Jewish nation in the midst of the wilderness on a tiny mountain called Sinai. Throughout the Torah, however, there is much focus on the “Promised Land” and…
The Food of Yom Kippur
Food on Yom Kippur? Isn’t Yom Kippur the most famous fast day on the Jewish calendar?"One who eats and drinks on the ninth, is considered by the Torah to have fasted on both the ninth and…
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 and the…
Light One Candle
“Light one candle for the Maccabee children, with thanks that their light didn’t die...” Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary wrote these words in a song that cried out for the pain of…