Today’s Bissel Torah was written by Laura Naide. In our CEH Religious School, students study a new Jewish value each month. We start each school year with Derekh Eretz which we translate as “the right path,” or…
Parashat Shemini Parashat Shemini opens with Moses telling Aaron and his sons about the guidelines for bringing offerings to the sanctuary as atonement for any sins that they or the people may have committed. Aaron follows Moses…
On the second night of Pessah, we started counting the omer. The omer is a measure of the barley crop that was brought to the ancient Temple in Jerusalem beginning on Pessah. Barley is an early crop, and our ancestors would bring…
Today’s Bissel Torah was written by Dr. Andrew Lovinger. This past Shabbat we read the special parashah for the Intermediate Shabbat of Pesach, which has a memorable theme that resonates with our times. It deals with the age-old human…
Tonight and tomorrow night, as well as in every daytime Pessah service we sing the Hallel, which includes Psalm 114. The Hebrew text begins with B’tzeht Israel. Let me share a few thoughts about this psalm with you. Psalm 114 1…
Healing Service – Biyur HametzCongregation Etz Hayim – April 7, 2020 1.Psalm 57, verse 9Awake, O my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will bring the dawn’s light.‘Urah kevodi, ‘urah hanevel v’kynor. A’yrah shahar.:ט עוּרָה כְבוֹדִי…
My garden is starting to bloom. It is officially Spring. Time for Pessah. This year we will all celebrate Pessah in a very different way. The gatherings will be done through technology. I am being very selective about what I…
Parashat Tzav – Miracles Parashat Tzav (Leviticus 6:1 – 8:36) continues the description of the sacrifices that we read about in last week’s parasha(Vayikrah). In this portion (Tzav) we find details about the performance of the olah (burnt offering), minhah (meal/gift offering), hattat (purification…
Today we found out that last Saturday at 1:30 am, Tikvat Israel, a synagogue in Rockville, MD, was vandalized. A man got out of his car, spray painted swastikas and hateful slogans on the synagogue outer walls,…
During the Great Revolt that ended with the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 70CE, Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkay wanted to promote peace, both among Jews and between Jews and Romans. He realized that his…