From Reflection to Appreciation
Sep 12, 2014 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Ki Tavo
Having underscored the role of memory at the conclusion of last week’s parashah (remembering the cruelty of Amalek), the Torah now accentuates the importance of appreciation in Parashat Ki Tavo.
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The Miracle of Hanukkah
Dec 27, 2008 By David Hoffman | Commentary | Hanukkah
Stories have great power. We tell stories about ourselves and about our communities because they give our lives meaning, and they help us navigate between the past and the future. We use stories to help us make sense of the world and our place in it. Not far behind the seemingly innocent plots of many of the stories we tell about our community’s religious history lie profound existential truths addressing our most pressing religious concerns.
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Singing of Freedom
Oct 9, 2008 By David M. Ackerman | Commentary | Tishah Be'av | Yom Kippur
Maya Angelou’s celebrated poem, “Caged Bird” (Shaker, Why Don’t You Sing. Random House, 1983) has long inspired me, especially at this time of the year. Grippingly, the poem contrasts “a free bird [who] dares to claim the sky” with “a bird that stalks down his narrow cage,” a creature of limited vision and range. Although the “caged bird stands on the grave of dreams,” he still has longing in his heart.
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The Meaning of the Shmurah Matzah
Apr 18, 2014 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Pesah
One of the centerpieces of seder night is the eating of matzah, the unleavened bread.
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Approaching The King
Sep 9, 2014 By Nancy Abramson | Short Video | Rosh Hashanah | Yom Kippur
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Going Up in Holiness
Nov 27, 2010 By David Levy | Commentary | Vayeshev | Hanukkah
Next Wednesday night, Hanukkah begins and Jews all over the world will gather around the menorah to light one candle for the first night of Hanukkah. We take it for granted that we light a candle on the first night, two on the second, and so on, but it could have been different.
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