Early in the war, IDF Soldiers prayed at the 6th century synagogue in Gaza. (The Synagogue was being used before the Islamic invasion 636 by Caliph Omar who had a dome built on the ruins of King Solomon’s Temple Mount) A while ago I took this photo of the mosaic Read more
If you look closely at the modern Israeli 10 Agorot coin, you’ll notice something strange. It has an engraving of an irregular-shaped ancient coin on it. That ancient coin was minted by Mattathias Antigonus (Matityahu), the last King of the Hasmonean Dynasty. As you may know, the Maccabees who defeated Read more
The period between Passover and Shavuot is the time period when we count the days of the “Omer” – Sefirat HaOmer. However the period also carries with it several customs related to mourning. The Talmud (Yevamot 62b) explains that 33 day mourning period during these weeks is to commemorate Rabbi Read more
Holocaust Remembrance Day Story As I listened to the siren go off this morning at 10am bringing the entire country of Israel to a minute of silence for Holocaust Remembrance Day, I thought about my family members who were incinerated by the Nazis… and those who miraculously escaped. Today is Read more
At no time of the Jewish year is the synagogue as “wild” as during the Megillah (Book of Esther) reading: Every time Haman’s name is read, the congregation erupts in a deafening chorus of groggers (noisemakers), clanging pots, and sirens. Some write Haman’s name on the bottom of their shoes Read more
There are 304,805 Hebrew letters in the Chumash – 5 Books of Moses. That’s about 90,000 words or the length of a medium-sized novel. It tells us the story of human civilization and Jewish history for its first 2,000 years in a very concise book. That’s a big undertaking. Yet Read more
And you always thought Aaron’s staff turning into a serpent!!! Here’s a guest post by Rabbi Ari Kahn… In order to implement his plan to enslave the Jews, it was important for Pharaoh to dehumanize his victims. Thus, the Jews’ birthrate is described from the Egyptian perspective, in language that Read more
This week’s Torah portion, VaYigash (Gen. 44:18-47-27) is one of the most dramatic in the entire Torah. After having been rejected and sold into slavery in Egypt by his own brothers, Joseph rose to be the viceroy. When famine struck Canaan and Egypt the brothers were forced to descend to Read more
The Meaning of Snowing in Israel Snow is a rarity in Israel, and if it comes, it’s usually only the children in Jerusalem and Judean Hills and Tsfat (Safed) who get ready to make snowmen. But when it comes, it’s not just time to frolic, it’s also time to reflect Read more
Anyone I have every spoken to who was in Israel at the time of the 1967 Six Day War told me that when it ended, the whole country was buzzing with the huge Miracle that had occurred. Even secular newspapers didn’t shy away from using the “M” word (miracle). The Read more