Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
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…
Judaism from A to Z—”Afterlife” The afterlife (Olam haBa) is rarely discussed in Jewish life, be it among Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox Jews. This is in marked contrast to the religious traditions of the people among whom the Jews have…
This is one of the more profound theological questions. To be able to name something or someone is to have a specific relationship to it or them, even a form of control. One can call out not just “Hey, You!”…
At the beginning of 2011, while protests were happening in Egypt against the regime of Hosni Mubarak, a joke did the rounds, which claimed that the Jews had warned the Egyptians that they would refuse to rebuild the pyramids if…