Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Dear congregants and friends, The first of the three weeks of the national lockdown has nearly finished, and we hope this finds you all well and healthy. We understand that the circumstances have imposed challenges and hardships on many of…
Dear congregants and friends, Based on the famous four questions we ask during the Pesach seder, Ma nishtanah ha-laylah hazeh mikol ha-leilot? – Why is this night of Passover different from all other nights of the year?, we, your rabbis,…
For today I’d like to share with you a text, my colleague Rabbi Steven Moskovitz wrote. It echos in a wonderful Jewish way the words of President Ramaphosa from last night’s address, where the President – once again – asked…
The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go …, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should…
Hashkiveinu as it appears in the Mishkan T’filah, our siddur: הַשְׁכִּיבֵֽנוּ, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽנוּ, לְשָׁלוֹם,וְהַעֲמִידֵנוּ שׁוֹמְרֵֽנוּ לְחַיִּים,וּפְרֹשׂ עָלֵֽנוּ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶֽךָ,וְתַקְּנֵֽנוּ בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶֽךָ,וְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ לְמַֽעַן שְׁמֶךָ.וְהָגֵן בַּעֲדֵֽנוּ, וְהָסֵר מֵעָלֵֽינוּ אוֹיֵב, דֶּֽבֶר, וְחֶֽרֶב, וְרָעָב, וְיָגוֹן, וְהָרְחֵק מִמֶּֽנּוּ עָוֹן וָפֶֽשַׁע.וּבְצֵל כְּנָפֶֽיךָ תַּסְתִּירֵֽנוּ,כִּי אֵל שׁוֹמְרֵֽנוּ…
Dear Bet David Families, We are writing to you at a time when health is a serious concern, not only in faraway countries, but also now here in South Africa. We are reading and following the same guidelines that you…
Judaism from A to Z—”F: Free will (a different perspective)” Since every human being is endowed with free will, even if a superior orders you to perform an evil act, Jewish law forbids you to follow the order. If you …
Judaism from A to Z—E: “Eye for an Eye” If one could speak of biblical verses being vilified, then “an eye for an eye” would be the most vilified of verses in the Bible. It is commonly cited to “prove”…
Judaism from A to Z—”Diaspora” Diaspora identifies any place outside of the land of Israel where Jews live. The term derived from the Greek διασπείρω diaspeiro (“scatter”). The first diaspora began with the biblical exile to Babylon in the sixth century BCE.…
One of the most important prayers in Judaism and one of the very few that the Bible commands us to recite, is never recited during synagogue services. That prayer is the birkat ha-mazon, grace after meal. In Deuteronomy 8:10 we are commanded…