Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
This coming Shabbat is called Shabbat Zachor – the Shabbat of Remembrance, one of the special Shabbatot leading up to Passover. In addition to the regular Torah portion congregations conclude the reading with an additional reading of Deuteronomy 25:17-19. These…
Next week we are going to celebrate the festival of Purim. So what do we know about this holiday? Purim is not one of the holidays commanded in the Torah, but it is rooted in the biblical book of Esther…
In Parashat P’kudei, God gives very explicit instructions for how the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, is to be set up, including the frame, the metalwork, the jewels and the tapestries. It seems that not a detail is omitted. The entire portion,…
The Hebrew term for gratitude is hakarat hatov, which means, literally, “recognising the good”. Practicing gratitude means recognizing the good that is already yours. If you don’t have a job, but you have your family near and your health – then…
The Torah portion Vayakhel presents Moses’ speech to the Israelite community at one of the many special gatherings during their wanderings in the desert. The speech opens with a brief restatement of the commandment to keep the Sabbath. However, the…
Dear All Last week I wrote a small explanation on the “four main” branches of Yoga: Hatha (physical)/ Raja (Mental)/ Gnani (Wisdom) and Bhakti (Devotion.) Most don’t know but as part of my earlier Rabbinical studying, I actually majored in…
This coming Shabbat Karen and I will be leading another exciting service outside – our monthly Yoga Service. There are some people who asked me: “Rabbi, but is it a real service/ are there tangible benefits to such a practice,…
‘I hear that nowadays Rabbis don’t have to believe in God – Rabbi, do you believe in God?’ I have heard this or questions alike many times in my carrier as a rabbi, and to be honest, it’s a question…
Parashat Tetzaveh continues with the theme that defines most of the rest of the Book of Exodus: the construction and institution of the Mishkan, the tabernacle. This week’s reading specifically focuses on the Kohanim, the Priests who perform the rituals…
It has been a tough past week, as once again we (Progressive Jews) have been at it again with our so called “orthodox” counterparts in South Africa, see this week’s Jewish Report for more on this. While I am not…