My Jewish Journey
Deborah Abecassis Warshawsky, Director of Jewish Life and Learning, shares insights on lessons from the Torah, Jewish customs and traditions and inspirational thoughts for personal growth.
Parshat Naso – One Person with One Heart
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...
Parshat Bamidbar /Shavuot – What’s in a name?
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...
Parshat Behar- Bechukotai – Shemitta: The Great Equalizer
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...
Parshat Emor – Counting the Omer
“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...
Parshat Kedoshim 2015: “Love thy Neighbor as Thyself?”– How jealousy impacts relationships
“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
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...
Pesach 2015
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...
Parshat Tzav – Preparation for Passover- The Four Sons
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...
Preparing for the Seder
Many of us spend hours preparing for the “physical” i.e. food parts of the Seder. However, we do not spend nearly enough time getting ready for the “spiritual” experience of the seder, which is accomplished through recitation of the Haggadah. I would like to spend the...
Parshat Vayakhel-Pikudei- Creativity – The Wisdom of the Heart
(Adapted from Creativity without Bounds by Rochel Holzkenner) This week we read the last parshiyot of the book of Exodus. The Jewish people were called upon to donate both their time and talents to help build the Mishkan. In Judaism, we believe that we use the heart...
Akiva Calendar
Experience Akiva
Donate
Rabbi Grossman’s Blog Corner
Rabbi Grossman's Corner
Parashat Vayetze – Outside the comfort zone
My older daughters take the city bus home from high school most afternoons. It is a 10-minute walk, one 15-20-minute bus ride through a safe neighbourhood, and then a 2-minute walk to our door. They do not complain – except when it’s pouring or freezing – and mostly...
Faces of Akiva – Akiva grandparents Harvey and Margo Elman
Every morning Akiva students, Sarah and Chloe Elman, have a very special way to start their school day. Their grandparents, Margo and Harvey, who live down the street from Akiva School, meet their grandchildren outside the school and walk them to their classrooms -...
Parashat Toldot – Red Lentils
In this week’s parshah, Rebecca gives birth to twin boys. Esau is described as a skilled hunter and Jacob “a wholesome man who dwells in tents.” Returning one day from hunting, Esau is exhausted and very hungry, and Jacob is cooking a stew. Esau said to Jacob, “Pour...
Parashat Chayei Sarah – Having blessings, knowing you are blessed.
“Who is rich? He who is happy with what he has.” – Pirkei Avot At the start of this week’s parasha, Sarah dies and Abraham purchases from the sons of Het the cave of Machpelah for a burial place. The text then tells us: Now Abraham was old, well on in years, and the...
Parashat VaYera – What do you see?
Superman had x-ray vision – the ability to see through solid objects. I – and I’m sure many of you – have the power to see things our family members swear are nowhere in sight. We can describe the location of every object in the fridge and pantry as our children...
Parashat Lekh Lekha – Generations to come. Featuring Special Guest Blogger – Tali Warshawsky
For the Jewish journey blog this week, my daughter asked me if she could write something related to the parasha. She did not discuss with me ahead of time what she wanted to write, and to be perfectly honest, I was skeptical about what she would come up with and what...
Parashat Noach – Finding the light
This week’s parashah is the story of Noah and the ark. God tells Noah he is going to destroy the earth because the people are corrupt and He gives Noah very specific instructions and measurements so he can build an ark for himself and his family and two of every...
Dvar Torah from the Interim Head of School
This Wednesday evening we usher in the concluding celebrations of this High Holiday cycle. Although technically Shemini Atzeret is not part of the Sukkot holiday, it is considered the eighth day, followed by Simhat Torah, which in practical terms is the ninth, and...
Sukkot – Stuffing the Sukkah with Joy
“What are you making for Sukkot?” my daughter asks me. “We always have pumpkin soup in the sukkah,” she adds. “And stuffed zucchini?” You usually make that too.” “Are you going to make stuffed cabbage this year,” my husband asks. “It’s my favourite.” Everyone has...
Yom Kippur – Because of the Children
There is a story told of Rabbi Akiva that the only time he ever said, “It is time to stop studying,” was on the eve of Passover and on the eve of Yom Kippur. He wanted to leave the house of study early on the eve of Passover “because of the children” – so they should...
