https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P90owY5mP3s

We find ourselves in the middle of the “Yoms”. This past week, we commemorated Yom HaShoah Ugvurah, Holocaust Memorial Day, and this coming week, we will have Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, and Yom Haatzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. Each of these days carries profound meanings, reminding us of our history, sacrifices, and hope for the future. Yom HaShoah is a solemn day dedicated to the memory of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust at the hands of the

There is a tradition that we are supposed to start preparing for Passover thirty days in advance. The holiday of Purim is celebrated thirty days before Passover, and we take no time at all finishing with one holiday and moving on to the next. There are many things we can do to prepare for the holiday. One thing we can do is refrain from eating Matzah the day after Purim. There are many, though I am not one of them, who will continue to eat Matzah all year. People will start o

This week, we will celebrate Purim. The entire holiday is based on the story from the Book of Esther in the Writings of the Tanach. It is a very interesting book. It has drama and intrigue. It has comedy and satire. It has sorrow and fear. It has joy and festivity. It is the only book of the Bible that takes place entirely in the diaspora. At the end of the book, we are bidden to establish an annual holiday to celebrate the events described in the book. Of all the interesting

Purim is our holiday of satire, humor, and joyful exaggeration. The Book of Esther is a masterful tale about antisemitism in the diaspora, told with wit and irony. The story feels timeless: Jews settle in a foreign land, grow comfortable, and begin to assimilate. Then a Jew-hater—or a group of Jew-haters—targets our community, using us as scapegoats for the ills around them. Those who once felt secure suddenly face rage, persecution, and the threat of exile. Yet through coura

Why is Zionism so important? Before answering, we should define the term. For me, Zionism means the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in our ancient homeland, the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, between the cedars of Lebanon and the Red Sea. For two thousand years after the expulsion from Judea in 70 C.E., we prayed for a return to the land of our ancestors. The Zionist movement of the late nineteenth century dreamed of that return and ultim

Many of us avoid any discussion of death and funeral arrangements. Perhaps we fear that even talking about it might invite the proverbial ayin hara, the Evil Eye. Perhaps we are not sure where or how we want to be buried. Contrary to what you might think, our tradition not only permits such planning but, in many ways, encourages and even requires it. The Torah offers numerous examples of our ancestors preparing for their inevitable deaths: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecc

The following was a piece I wrote for the Chanukah edition of the Las Vegas Israelite. After the events of this week, I think it is more poignant than ever. Pirsumei Nisa – Proclaiming the Miracle. There are many themes associated with Chanukah. We celebrate the miracle of the oil and the defeat of Antiochus IV and the Seleucid Greeks. We rejoice in the idea of using the Menorah’s candles to illuminate darkness. But one theme speaks to me especially this year: pirsumei nisa,

One of the things I love about Hebrew, being the modern spoken language of the State of Israel, is how Israeli musicians turn to the sacred texts to find inspiration for their music. In this week’s Torah portion, we read the story of Jacob on the eve of his encounter with his brother Esau as he and his family return to Canaan. Before going to sleep on the night before the encounter with his brother, Jacob prays to God, saying: “I am unworthy of all the kindness that You have