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February 15, 2011

If Not Now, When – Blurring the Lines for the Future of Jewish Education

The dust is settling after the January JEA and NATE conferences. Synagogue educators of all stripes and flavors are returning to our old haunts: Congregations and real life. A taste of what is possible still remains in our mouths, though. We need to ask: How do we keep the spirit that we felt in Mt. […]

February 14, 2011

Hurray for February– the month of bullshit holidays!

Let’s say you’re someone who really enjoys fasting (bear with me, this is going someplace.) You don’t have an eating disorder and you’re not protesting anything, you just like to find any excuse you can to be really, really hungry. Well, if you’re a Muslim, you’re psyched. You’ve got Ramadan, a whole glorious month at the all you can’t eat buffet. If you’re Jewish, you may not get a full month, but there are still ample fasting opportunities: you’ve got Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), Tisha B’Av (commemorating the destruction of the Second Temple), Tzom Gedalia (the fast of, um, Gedaliah?) and other fast days sprinkled throughout the year.

But what if you’re a Christian? If you’re Catholic, then you might fast by giving up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for Lent. If you’re a Protestant of some sort- well, the closest you’ll get to fasting is running out of Light Miracle Whip so you can’t bring deviled eggs to Bible study or skipping lunch after church because snake handling makes you queasy (I don’t know what you people do.).

February 12, 2011

Shabbat Commentary – Tetzaveh

In the last few Torah Portions, we’ve seen God play many roles. Now, in this week’s Parasha (Portion), Tetzaveh, we see God as Fashion Designer, describing in minute detail the Priest’s clothing and ornaments. In addition, God tells Moses of the ritual offerings which the Priest, Aaron, and his sons shall make. In the final […]

February 10, 2011

Shalom Kitah Gimel Students and Families #16

This is my 100th blog post. What better way to celebrate than to share Wednesday’s happenings in Kitah Gimel! We began with the Blessings for Torah Study and cookies, followed by our attendance conversation. The class no longer needs the “prompt” sheets as they know the questions and answers by heart. We noted that we’re […]

February 9, 2011

“Chair Time”

Friends who are vacationing in Florida sent me a postcard. They wrote that they were having “lots of chair time just looking at the sea.” “Chair Time” – I like that phrase. “Chair Time” suggests a relaxed contemplation of natural surroundings, a chance for unhurried observation, quiet thought, and measured response. Chair Time is not […]

February 9, 2011

A Testimony to Jewish Educators

Robyn Faintich (@Jewishgps and JewishGPS) posted this piece entitled “Todah Rabah to our Educators!”on Davar Acher-On the Other Hand blog on Sunday. In it she celebrates the profession of Jewish educators and their role in building the Jewish future. As a Director of Education in a congregational school, I would like to say Todah Rabah […]

February 5, 2011

Commentary – T’rumah

From B’reishit on, we’ve experienced God as Creator, Guardian, Miracle Worker, Law Maker, Teacher. In this week’s Torah Portion, T’rumah, we see God in the roles of Fundraiser, Architect, Artisan, and Interior Decorator. With no Home Depot or Lumber Liquidators in sight, God commands the Israelites to build a portable Mishkan – “And let them […]

February 4, 2011

Finding Our Hundred Blessings

This morning I awoke wondering how I could face one more day of snow, rain, ice, sleet and cold. This winter has felt endless and all of the layers and boots and changes of clothing are certainly beginning to wear on me and my family. But in the midst of this internal rant I began […]

February 2, 2011

Highly Recommended – The Bedside Torah

Remember bedtime stories? Comforting, entertaining, perhaps even instructional. In the spirit of those appealing, memorable narratives, The Bedside Torah by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson (McGraw Hill Publishers) features three of what the author calls “meditations” on each Torah Portion. These essays or meditations originated as weekly columns in the Orange County Heritage. Some also appeared […]

January 31, 2011

Yiddish Folktales, Home Renovation and A Gratuitous Jets Reference Thrown in for Good Measure

There are 3 types of Yiddish folktales (bear with me, this is going somewhere):

Be nice to smelly beggars when they come to your door — not out of love or compassion, but because God might be testing you, and you could win a free chicken dinner and slammin’ new candlesticks.
Look at the wily little Jew trick the big, bad Goy and save his village from certain destruction for at least a week.
Life is terrible. Enjoy it before it gets worse.

This third category includes stories related to home improvement- of which the best one is:

A little Jewish couple live with their many children in a tiny run-down house in a quaint Eastern-European Jewish village that hasn’t yet been burned to the ground by Cossacks. The man, Shmulik is always being hassled by his wife, Tiffany, because the house is so small, loud and crowded. Finally, at his wits’ end he goes to the Rabbi.