Why do we celebrate Tu BiShvat, the Jewish “New Year of the Trees,” in the middle of winter?
Tu BiShvat, called the "New Year of the Trees," falls at a seemingly incongruous time of year.
Do Reform Jews Believe in the Messiah?
In the Jewish prayer book, the siddur, there are references to an “end of days”: the Temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt, the dead who were righteous will be resurrected, and a figure known as the Messiah, or in Hebrew the Moshiach, will restore Israel to new-found glory.
Stories We Tell: The Wooden Sword
Stories We Tell: Brother and the Car
Stories We Tell: The Seed
Stories We Tell: The Wedding Gift
Stories We Tell: Chiribim and Chiribam
Stories We Tell: The Golem
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Chukat: Remembering Rabbi Aharon Pankin
Parashat Chukat, we learn of the passing of two of the most inspired biblical teachers: Miriam and Aaron. In this episode of On the Other Hand, Rabbi Jacobs honors the life of Rabbi Aaron Panken, Ph.D., z”l, who, like the biblical Aaron, was a remarkable leader.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - D'varim: For All the Jewish People
Kol Yisrael translates to “all of Israel.” In Parashat D’varim, when Moses speaks to kol Yisrael, he’s not speaking to a divided Jewish people: he’s speaking to them as one.