Heralded With Blessings

The opening prayer of Pesukei D’zimra is Baruch She’amar - Blessed is He who Said. It is a prose poem that uses an anaphora, a literary style in which the same word is repeated at the…

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A Phrase of Praise

If you’ve ever been in a synagogue and heard a bunch of congregants seemingly mumble something after the chazzan (prayer leader) recited a blessing and wondered what they were saying, and…

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Shabbat Day Songs

Zmirot are the songs that celebrate the holiness and beauty of Shabbat. There are designated zmirot for each of the three Shabbat meals, and even post-Shabbat zmirot. Two of the most…

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Tu b’Shevat

Tu b'ShevatNew Year for Trees Tu b’Shevat is a rabbinical, not biblical holiday. In fact, it is first…

The Source of Leadership

Great leaders can move mountains...or at least, masses of people. Ezra the Scribe was just such a leader, and it was his charisma and wisdom that inspired the Jews to leave their…

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The Source of Leadership

Great leaders can move mountains...or at least, masses of people. Ezra the Scribe was just such a leader, and it was his charisma and wisdom that inspired the Jews to leave their…

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Yom Tov – The First Festival Days

Yom TovThe First Festival Days Sukkot is a 7 day holiday. The first day (first two days outside of Israel) are Yamim Tovim –…

Shalom Aleichem

Shalom Aleichem On the eve of Shabbat, two ministering angels accompany a person home from the synagogue. One angel represents…

Sabbath Prayers: Ein Keh’lo’hay’nu/There Is None Like Our God

There is no one (or thing) like God, and, when all is said and done, this is the essence of everything that a Jew says and does. Only God can create the world. Only God can be master of…

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What to do on Chanukah

What to do on ChanukahChanukah is unique amongst the holidays in that it has only a single mitzvah - publicizing the miracle…