The Chai Mitzvah Blog

The Dilemma

Posted on July 3, 2023

This morning over breakfast, our 8 year old grandson remarked, “I love the French Soccer Team, and if Israel was playing in the World Cup, I’d have a big dilemma of who to support.” This got me thinking about a discussion I had a number of years ago with Rabbi Bondenheimer, a German refugee who Continue Reading »

Chai Mitzvah is Like a Summer Vacation

Posted on June 26, 2023

by Michalee Merritt The first day of summer was this past week. Kids are off from school and families tend to lead a slower pace. We plan vacations and outings. We look forward to seeing people that we only see in the summer. We talk about what books to read while we are laying by Continue Reading »

The Twelfth Plague

Posted on June 16, 2023

By Rabbi Deb Smith Our most recent virtual mussar lesson was about Humility/Anavah. In that class, we discussed a variety of Jewish texts that deal with finding a balance in terms of the amount of space, we take up in our relationships with others, and with our surroundings, and ultimately with the Divine. Our discussion Continue Reading »

For Generations to Come

Posted on June 12, 2023

by Jill Maidhof I don’t know what it’s like in your neck of the woods, but in Kansas it’s SUMMERTIME! I hope that you’re enjoying the sunshine and getting enough rain to nourish your garden – and enough Chai Mitzvah to nourish your need for meaningful conversations and fellowship.  I’d like to share a discussion Continue Reading »

Renewing the Hope

Posted on June 5, 2023

by Nina Fondiller Woldin Yesterday I attended the Celebrate Israel parade in New York City. The theme this year was Israel @ 75: Renewing the Hope. There were over 40.000 marchers, and from my vantage point, it seemed that 30,000 of them were schoolchildren from the New York metropolitan area. That should make us feel very Continue Reading »

A Listening Tour

Posted on May 30, 2023

by Audrey Lichter We are living in a very pivotal time for those of us involved in Jewish education. As opportunities for information to disseminate  virtually has grown exponentially, many of us are looking to reinvent ourselves. The challenge of centralization versus decentralization is as old as Judaism is itself. The challenge of centralization versus Continue Reading »

Why Small Groups are So Important

Posted on May 22, 2023

by Michalee Merritt A simple way to grow your community is to offer small group learning. Small groups foster close relationships and integral community. They are great for people that would not normally participate in front of a whole class. More sharing happens in small groups. Small groups build lasting friendships. Chai Mitzvah offers programs Continue Reading »

Veshinantam Levanecha, Mother’s (and More) Day Musings

Posted on May 15, 2023

by Nina Fondiller Woldin Yesterday, with two grandsons snuggled in my lap (OK, later that afternoon they both came down with fevers, we know that’s mandatory) I thought about what it is that makes me love being with kids. Whether I am asked or not, I often say that I’ve raised three kids and two Continue Reading »

Thanks for the Ride!

Posted on May 8, 2023

by Jill Maidhof Ecclesiastes has it right—there really is nothing new under the sun. Last week my group was discussing the 6th diber (“statement,” commonly translated as “commandment”) described in the Aseret: The Big Ten curriculum, Do Not Murder. We were all clear about the sin of putting a gun to someone’s head, but what Continue Reading »

Counting Down/Counting Up to Torah

Posted on May 1, 2023

by Rabbi Deb Smith We are currently in the midst of what I call the counting down/counting up period of the Jewish year. It is the period of time that begins with the second Pesach Seder and continues to Shavuot, the holiday commemorating receiving the Torah at Sinai. This period is marked by seven weeks Continue Reading »

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