This week Beth Miriam will be having a very special Shabbat that comes at a most important time. After the President called countries that foul-laden term which clearly implied that people of color are not welcome in the United States (this was obvious to anyone hearing it despite the  later protestations), we as a temple…

When I was in Religious School in about Grade 7, we began our study of the Holocaust.  Of course, one of the questions that we raised was ‘how could such a thing have happened.’  It was a naive question, I realize now.  Hitler’s willing executioners were not the generals and the soldiers.  They were the…

By now everyone who watches the news or reads a paper knows that Israel saved some 98 White Helmet workers and their families from almost-certain death in Syria. Who are the “White Helmets”? Here is the Wikipedia entry: The White Helmets (Arabic: الخوذ البيضاء ,القبعات البيضاء‎ al-Ḫawdh al-bayḍāʾ / al-Qubaʿāt al-Bayḍāʾ), officially known as Syria Civil…

This is the month before the Days of Awe.  Called Elul, the Sages saw the name of the month as referencing ‘Ani Ldodi Vdodi Li’ – using the first letters of the phrase from the Song of Songs as referring to the month of Elul.  And what is this phrase and why did the Rabbis…

This week’s parasha, Vayeira,  is one of those ‘pivotal moments’ in Jewish history.  The text says: ‎וַיֵּרָ֤א אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י מַמְרֵ֑א וְה֛וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב פֶּֽתַח־הָאֹ֖הֶל כְּחֹ֥ם הַיּֽוֹם׃2 וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים עָלָ֑יו וַיַּ֗רְא וַיָּ֤רָץ לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָֽרְצָה׃ 3 וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֗י אִם־נָ֙א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ אַל־נָ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר מֵעַ֥ל עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃ 4 יֻקַּֽח־נָ֣א מְעַט־מַ֔יִם…

There is the strangest line in this Torah portion that, for all intents and purposes, goes completely unnoticed.    After describing the Jacob’s quarrel with Esau, Isaac’s settling in Gerar, the digging of wells by Isaac’s servants and a peace agreement with Abimelech, the text throws in a line that comes out of nowhere: ‎…

One of the learnings my students take with them is just how adaptable Judaism is. Nothing is static. Even in the ‘Orthodox’ world Jewish tradition is always evolving. A good example are the halachot – Jewish laws – surrounding Shabbat (or any holiday for that matter). The mitzvah to celebrate Shabbat is riddled throughout the…

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]I just read that my go-to coffee place in Canada, Tim Horton’s, is doing something they have never done: they are experimenting with the plant-based Beyond Meat product for their sausage.  This…