Spring has officially arrived! The daffodils are blooming, the buds are on the trees outside my windows! What do the seeds of Spring represent? For me, it is a time of preparing to leave the tighter, darker places of winter. Historically, we prepare to leave mitzrayim, the slavery the Israelite people endured in Egypt for Continue Reading »
Everything is not what it appears. It is a human trait to lump things into groups and categories we are familiar with. We all understand educational programs, so anything that involves text study gets thrown into that bucket. There are great educational programs out there – Limmud, Melton, Machon Hadar, Chabbad – as well as Continue Reading »
I love this time of year. The weather is changing and the flowers are starting to pop up through the soil. It means baseball and being outside. But the best thing of this time of year – PURIM and PASSOVER! Making hamentashen in all kinds of flavors. Planning my Passover recipes. I love to bake! Continue Reading »
Recently Chai Mitzvah hosted a webinar entitled Shocking Trends on College Campuses: The Rise of Antisemitism and the Fall of Academic Freedom with Scott Shay, our founder and Board Chair, in conversation with Dr. Miriam Elman of the Academic Engagement Network and Dr. Andrew Pessin, Campus Editor of the Algemeiner Journal. There is no shortage Continue Reading »
You know those times when someone’s talking to you and you’re kind of paying attention but not really, until that person needs a response from you and you have no idea what to say? In my house, we call that “sorta listening” as in “Oh sorry, I was just sorta listening – better give it Continue Reading »
Did you know that you can still make Havdalah today, Monday? In fact, Havdalah may be observed as late as sunset of the Tuesday following Shabbat. This was one of the facts that we learned in our three-part Sharing Shabbat series. The third part was held last Tuesday night, February 15. I had the pleasure Continue Reading »
We just got off the phone with a beautiful couple, he a Rabbi and she a Jewish educator and organizational guru who live in Israel and help families have meaningful Israeli B’nai Mitzvah experiences. They spoke candidly with us, about the joys of their work and the frustrations. Actually, the sadness they feel when a Continue Reading »
One of the best parts of my job is getting to know our amazing Chai Mitzvah participants. That’s why I want to introduce you to Norma Krasne-Levine. Read on, and meet a person who follows her convictions and sets an example for us all! The first time I met Norma in a virtual Mussar class, Continue Reading »
Everything that I do, everywhere I go and everything that I continue to be a part of is because it was a warm and welcoming place. Should we not always welcome strangers or be kind to everyone? These days with people wearing masks out in public you can’t tell when someone is smiling at you. Continue Reading »
My current favorite book is Judaism for the World: Reflections on God, Life and Love by rabbi and scholar Arthur Green. I LOVED it and learned from every page. At one point, Rabbi Green observes that while Jewish texts are more accessible than ever thanks to recent translations and interpretations, much of it is highly Continue Reading »
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