For The Sins We Committed
One of the main steps in the process of teshuva (repentance) is for penitents to confess their sins and verbalize their errors. In so doing, those who seek forgiveness for committing a…
The Book Of Jonah
The Book of Jonah is one of the best-known stories in the Bible and is read during Mincha (the afternoon service) on Yom Kippur because of its powerful message of repentance. God…
A Meaningful Act of Kindness
We are all at a loss of how to deal with the tragic unfolding events in Israel. On the one hand, we feel helpless seeing the horrific images from Israel and reading the tragic stories…
World Hello Day
In 1973, Brian and Michael McCormack created "World Hello Day" as a reaction to the Yom Kippur War. College students at the time, the McCormack brothers started a campaign encouraging…
These Lights We Kindle
While the mitzvah of lighting the menorah is an outward-focused mitzvah – the menorah is lit in a window or doorway – it is also an opportunity for personal reflection on the deeper…
Chanukah Yum
While Jewish holidays are known for their food (except Yom Kippur, of course), most of them are not known for being particularly healthy. Chanukah is no exception. Forget matzah or…
First You and Then You
From a broad perspective, the opportunity for all members of a prayer service to participate in a Torah reading service is an important statement on Jewish inclusion. In reality, however,…
Scapegoat
The Jewish people have often been cast as the proverbial “scapegoat.” When millions died during the Black Plague, the Jews were accused of poisoning the wells. Blood libels accusing Jews…