Today is a miracle day. We got the call. They found a heart for my son’s father. And we await all the preliminary tests so the transplant can take place. Who knew miracles involved such waiting around? But in this case you want all the team to be ready. And all the t’s crossed and…Read more »
Author: rabbieger
Getting Closer:Blessing and Sacrifice
Parshat Shemini Leviticus 9:1-11:47 After bringing the sacrifices to the altar for Aaron and his sons and next for the people of Israel, in this week’s portion, Shemini, Aaron blesses the people Israel. “Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he stepped down after offering the sin offering, the burnt…Read more »
Yom Hashoa-Remembering the Holocaust
This Sunday April 11 is Yom Hashoa v’Hag’vurah- Holocaust Memorial Day. Really it is the Day of the Martyrs and Heroes . All too often on Yom Hashoa we only mourn but we do not tell the stories of resistance to the Nazi evil. We do not celebrate the survivors of both the camps and the soldiers…Read more »
You Gotta Wonder about these Quakes
I don’t believe in Biblical damnation nor do I believe that the Mayan Calendar stopping in 2012 signals the end of the world. But you got to wonder a bit when it is one earthquake after another! Over the last several months the number of quakes and volcano eruptions world-wide seem more than the usual. There…Read more »
Opening Day Hooray!
Hooray! Yesterday was Opening Day for Major League Baseball. The Yankees and the Red Sox initiated the 2010 season with last night’s game. (Wasn’t that something to see Neil Diamond singing “Sweet Caroline”?Although Steve Tyler of Aerosmith singing “God Bless America at the seventh inning stretch left poor Kate Smith spinning in her grave!) Today the…Read more »
Fred Phelps at it again–this time its Easter and the Jews
It’s Easter morning. My Christian friends are observing their most holy day of the year celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. For Jews this was never a good time of year. Historically the charge of Christ-killer surfaced during the days and weeks leading up to Easter day. Passion plays filled with anti-Semitism performed at this season and priests’…Read more »
Hold the School Administators Accountable-Phoebe’s revenge
This past week nine teenagers were charged in the brutal bullying case of a recently immigrated teen from Ireland. Two of them were also charged with rape. The teen committed suicide as a result of her treatment by classmates. Phoebe Prince was only 15 years old and had only recently moved to the Western Massachusetts town of…Read more »
Shabbat Pesach Lifting Broken Spirits
Tonight for Shabbat no challah bread. Tonight we make motzi on our matzah bread as we do every night of Pesach. But the contrast between the rich twisted egg bread and our simple matzah drives home even more the message of this Passover holiday. In Egypt we were the poorest segment of society. We were harassed, bullied, oppressed by harsh…Read more »
On Refraining from Chametz -do you?
Passover week is a unique opportunity to affirm one’s Jewish identity and to feel connected to a larger community. Jews around the world observe Passover. No matter if one is of Ashkenazi or Sephardic origins, Ethiopian background or Persian, Passover customs and traditions help us relive the Exodus from Egypt and make the journey toward…Read more »
The first day of the Omer-who’s counting?
Do you count the Omer? Today is the first day we count towards the 50th day which will be the Shavuot holiday. Each day for the next seven weeks we will say a special prayer and mark off another day gone by on our calendar as we anticipate the giving of the Torah on Mt.…Read more »