Tonight we begin an amazing three week class with Kabbalist Gahl Sasson. I want to invite everyone in the LA area to study with this gentle, funny and wise soul! This class (No previous Hebrew knowledge Necessary) “The Mystical Meaning of the Hebrew Letters” will be a powerful journey into kabbalah as described in Sefer…Read more »
Author: rabbieger
Suggestions for Calm?
There is so much unrest and dis-ease in the world. London has been in flames and chaos and turmoil. Food is running out in Somalia and a severe famine and drought are turning things upside down. Protests in the streets of Israel for affordable housing brought out almost 20 percent of the nation. Massacres…Read more »
Prayer community
What makes a worshiping community? Is it the Rabbi and Cantor “presenting” services each time? Or is it a group of committed people who come sincerely together to pray, to study and to support each other? Is it a combination of these things? Is it people both lay and professional Jews who work together to create sacred…Read more »
The Ten Commandments Round 2
Parshat V’Etchanan Deuteronomy 3:23 -7:11 Rabbi Denise L. Eger This week’s Shabbat is known as Shabbat Nachamu- the Sabbath of Comfort or Consolation because it is the Shabbat that follows Tisha B’av. Its name comes from the Haftarah portion from Isaiah which begins, “Nachamu Nachamu et ami… Comfort, Comfort My People. The…Read more »
Oneness today and every day
Thinking today about the Shema prayer. It is in this week’s portion, Veetchanan in Deuteronomy. Hear O Israel Adonai is Your God, Adonai is One. These words have guided and shaped the Jewish people. These words form some of my earliest childhood memories -as my parents taught me to say the Shema every night before…Read more »
The 9th of Av
On this 9th of Av, Jewish national day of mourning the tragedies that befell our people, I take pride in our accomplishments. We are a people that have endured! We are a people that have contributed much to the human family! We are a people that is willing to adapt and renew itself in the…Read more »
Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai
Here is a wonderful story of redemption for Tisha B’av Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai Saves Torah Annette Labovitz The three-year Roman siege of Yerushalayim portended doom for Jewish nationalism. The inhabitants of the Holy City were divided; some were wearied from the hopelessness of the situation; others, although refusing to surrender, fought among themselves. Hunger…Read more »
Reimagining Tisha B’av
I am so excited to be back on the bima! After a meaningful and study filled Sabbatical in Israel I am looking forward to celebrating Shabbat with my Kol Ami community! This Shabbat is Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath prior to Tisha B’Av (This coming Monday eve and Tuesday). Tisha B’Av (the 9th of Av) commemorates…Read more »
A New Book: Deuteronomy
Parshat Devarim Deuteronomy 1:1 -3:22 This week we begin reading the last book of the Torah, Deuteronomy. Moses begins to retell the story of the Children of Israel. He recounts the journey from Egypt to the eastern shore of the Jordan River. This is the beginning of his final speech to the people, to this…Read more »
Existence: Why is there a universe? – something from nothing
This is a fascinating article from New scientist magazine about the origins of the universe. It asks scientific questions that religious folks have been asking for millennia! Wondering what came before creation and how the universe came into being are questions that have been asked by our sages and rabbis as well. Even the Torah…Read more »