Blessings for Festival and Yom Tov Candle Lighting
A Prayer for Simchat Torah
“Rejoicing in the Torah” doesn’t require us to find joy in every verse. It doesn’t mean that we concur with every choice made by the people in it.
How many days is Sukkot?
Sukkot, the Jewish festival of booths (a harvest holiday of thanksgiving), begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei.
Why do Jewish Holidays Begin at Night?
On the Jewish calendar, holidays begin in the evening, at sundown, and they continue through the next day.
Worship Services: Blessings for Reading the Torah
The Message at the Heart of the Scroll
On Simchat Torah, may Torah’s holy message dance forth from our sanctuary and our hearts.
A New Beginning Is a Precious Gift
Every year, in this season of renewal, we are given the extraordinary opportunity to begin again.
When the Student is the Teacher: Lessons From a Stack of Old Letters
When a close family friend died, an old stack of our letters reminded me how I had been a teacher to him, even as he had been one to me.
How Trope Strengthens Our Connections to Torah
In Parashat B'reishit, we are introduced to “text painting,” a basic method of trope that uses melody directly connected to the meaning of the words.