The tallit is one of the most familiar symbols of Judaism. The commandment behind the tallit is found at the end of our parsha, in the mitzvah to wear tzizit, string fringes at the edges of any four cornered garment. Tzitzit is so fundamental to Judaism, that the...
“But when the assembly is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.” This week’s parsha in the book of Bamidbar, contains the first reference to the different sounds of the shofar that we are commanded to hear on Rosh Hashana. God asks...
I wanted to share an article with you this week written by the families of the three boys (Eyal, Gilad and Naftali) whose lives were brutally taken last summer before the operation in Gaza. The message of unity is crucial and it is an appropriate message that follows...
The megilla of Ruth is a beautiful story of a Moabite woman who “cleaves” to her mother in law Naomi, and is in turn rewarded for her acts of extreme chessed by meriting to be the ancestor of King David. The book is a succinct story (4 chapters) with multiple layers...
The Sabbatical year is a remarkable utopian idea. The Torah tells of the “shemitta”, how every seven years the nation shared a remarkable experience; that in the seventh year, private fields were opened up to the public, to be enjoyed by any living being, and...
“And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the day of rest… there should be seven complete weeks. Until the morrow of the seventh week, you shall count fifty days.” (Leviticus 23:15-16) The Torah commands us to count forty nine days from the first day of...
“Ve-ahavta Lere-acha Kamocha.” These famous words from this week’s parsha became the “raison d’etre” and basis for all of the teachings of Rabbi Akiva. During this period of counting the Omer and the days leading up to the giving of the Torah, we remind ourselves of...
In honour of Yom HaShoah, I am including an (abridged) article about the future of Holocaust Education which I believe will be one of our upcoming challenges in Jewish education for the near future. Shabbat Shalom. Holocaust education prepares for era without...
The goal of our Seders is to engage our children in dialogue about the story of leaving Egypt. Here is a little humour to help bridge the serious moments with the song and food of the evening. Print them and put them under everyone’s plate to help keep the children...
The number four is prevalent in the rituals of the seder. We have 4 cups of wine, 4 (or 5) words of redemption, four questions asked by the youngest at the seder and the four sons. I would like to present some ideas this week about the four sons. What does the wise...