My Jewish Journey

This week’s parashah begins the book of Ba-Midbar, which opens with God commanding Moses to count. Take a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel according to their families, according to their fathers’ house, by number of the names, every male...

This weekend is Lag Ba-Omer, the 33rd day of counting from Passover to Shavuot.  In our parshah this week we find the commandment to count these days: You shall count for yourselves – from the morrow of the rest day, from the day when you bring the omer of the waving...

In this week’s double parashah we find the well-know commandment “Love your neighbour as you love yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).  Rabbi Akiva taught that this precept is the most important rule in the Torah. In this week of commemoration and celebration - with Yom...

I love when my children come home eager to tell me something they learned in school that made an impression on them.  I love it more when they assume they are telling me something I would have never heard before and they are eager to teach me. This past Monday we...

The last thing I feel like doing the day after Passover is think about food. Again.  There are so many important and meaningful messages to the holiday - about freedom and family and community, about faith and courage, traditions, history and heritage. But let’s face...

Questions are a central part of the Passover Seder.  Our very youngest participants are tasked with asking the Mah Nishtana – why this night, this holiday, is different from every other night of the year.  Questions help instill a love of learning and encourage the...

This week's Dvar Torah is written by our Akiva Shinshinit, Yael Goldstone.  Thank you Yael for sharing! Shabbat Shalom! Israel Kristal is the Guinness world record holder of being the oldest man alive. Israel was born in 1903 in Žernov. His father was drafted to the...

In the weeks leading up to Passover, I hesitate sending my husband to the grocery store for me.  My priority is cleaning out my pantry of hametz and purchasing only the essentials we can use and finish immediately.  A request for a red pepper, a package of cheese and...

At Akiva School we all work together to build something beautiful – a home for our children to learn, to grow and to thrive.  This is the gift that we give to them - and to us - as we play a role in shaping our future through our children.  I invite you all to read a...