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.
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...
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...
Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilekh – Choose Life
One of the concepts of Rosh Hashanah is the Book of Life. The image is that God is sitting up in heaven with a huge book in front of Him, in which He accounts for all our positive and negative deeds over the past year and decides whether we are worthy of reward...
Parashat Ki Tavo – D’var Torah by guest blogger Akiva Alumna Nora-Jin Sokoloff
For this week’s Parashah blog, it was my pleasure to share with you the Dvar Torah of Nora-Jin Sokoloff, a recent Akiva graduate who celebrated her Bat Mitzvah this past Shabbat. We wish her and her family Mazal Tov. I am very excited but maybe a little...
Parashat Ki Teitzei – Family Discussion Questions for the Shabbat table
Parashat Ki Teitzei sets out a series of miscellaneous laws, mostly governing civil and domestic life. For your Shabbat table and family dinner discussions, here a few questions to consider the larger lessons we learn from these laws and how they continue to apply to...
Parashat Korach – Equal but not the same
In this week’s parashah, we read about Korach’s rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Together with 250 well-known men among the Israelites, he argued: For the entire Assembly – all of them – are holy and the Lord is among them, so why do you exalt...
Parashat Shlach – leadership
Guest Blogger Bonnie Levine Akiva Parent and Board Member Not sure if you have been feeling it but there is a current, a common theme dominating our news cycles and conversations these days. It’s all about leadership. Be it Trump, Trudeau, Coderre, Applebaum, or...
Parashat Be’Ha’alotekha – Parenting moments.
Parashat Be’Ha’alotekha – Parenting moments. The relationship between and God and the people of Israel often reflects the relationship between parent and child. In this week’s parasha, Be’Ha’alotekha, we see different glimpses of God’s parenting moments. After some...
Parashat Naso – Blessings
Fun fact: This week’s parashah, Naso, is the longest parashah in the Torah with 176 verses. In it, we find the priestly blessing:. Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying so shall you bless the Children of Israel, say to them: May the Lord bless you and keep you; May...
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Rabbi Grossman’s Blog Corner
Rabbi Grossman's Corner
The Spirit of Judah
As I look at our students during the final days of school before the summer, I am reminded of the Israelites standing at the border of the Promised Land. Behind them are the trials and toils that marked their trek through the desert, the hard work that characterized...
Court of Justice
Rabbi David Hartman, founder of The Akiva School, was known in Montreal and throughout the Jewish world as a powerful preacher, intrepid cleric, popular philosopher, and institution builder. He was also an exceptional basketball player. Rabbi Hartman grew up in...
Message from the Head of School
Everyone thrives on routine. We have weekly, monthly, and daily cycles and routines that give life a sense of order and purpose. Getting up each morning is eased by the fact that I know exactly the steps I must take from the time my alarm rings to the time I am at...
A Message of Redemption from the Jewish People to the World
As we prepare to sit down to our seders this year, I want to point out two peculiarities about the Pesach haggadah. The haggadah is supposed to tell the story of the liberation from Egypt. And yet, at no point in the seder do we ever just tell this story. ...
A Day of Hope and Renewal
Today is Rosh Chodesh Nisan, the first day of the new Hebrew month of Nisan. It marks the new moon of the month that ushers in the season of renewal, called Aviv in the Torah. In the time of the Bible, this month was the first month of the new year (the Jewish year...
Coronavirus Update – Message from Rabbi Grossman
ונִשְׁמַרְתֶּם מְאֹד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם Protect your bodies most carefully! Reading these words in Deuteronomy 4:9, our sages determined that there is a Torah obligation to be vigilant about our physical health in addition to our spiritual wellbeing. In following this...
The Limits and Loci of Jewish Education
Chidushim B’Chinuch—Insights into Education Fourteenth of an Ongoing Series When we speak about Jewish education, we most likely have in mind the Jewish day school. Especially here in Montreal, where Jewish schools have been strong, successful, popular and...
A Double Mitzvah
Tu B’shevat is a time when modern Jews consider their responsibility towards the environment and God’s world, as I pointed out in my last column. Inspired by a number of Akiva students who have taken it upon themselves to spearhead grassroots environmental efforts at...
The Values of Education
Chidushim B’Chinuch—Insights into Education Thirteenth of an Ongoing Series This Monday was Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish Arbor Day or New Year of the Trees. In modern times, Tu B’Shevat has become a day of ecological awareness, the Jewish Earth Day. In Hebrew schools, Tu...
School and Society
Chidushim B’Chinuch—Insights into Education Twelfth of an Ongoing Series Last week we explored Plato’s proposal for compulsory education, the goal of which is to develop in the child a balanced soul that reaches its potential. Plato called this ideal the Virtuous...
