Tomorrow is the beginning of Purim, and it could not come at a more somber time. Millions of people are fleeing the Ukraine and seeking shelter in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, and even in Israel. The Joint Distribution committee has set up a full scale operation on the Polish border to help refugees escape …
By Robin Jacobson. When it comes to Passover children’s books, you could cover a Seder table many times over with wonderful choices. Here are five favorites, a mix of new and older titles, starting with ones for the youngest Pesach celebrants. Dayenu! A Favorite Passover Song by Miriam Latimer (ages 1 and up, 2012) This …
While Beth El already has a strong security culture , the recent hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas prompted us to do a full review of our protocols. We conducted an updated security survey in partnership with a private security contractor, a crisis management expert and former Israeli Defense Forces officer. They …
When I was about fifteen years old, my father took me to buy tefillin. An older teenage girl at my school showed me how to wrap tefillin one day at morning minyan. I can still remember that she taught each step with clarity and kindness: first, tightening the knot around my bicep; next, wrapping seven …
Inhabited for millennia, Israel sits atop layers upon layers of a rich, buried past – long irresistible to archaeologists. For a lively, colorful history of archaeological expeditions, read Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World’s Most Contested City by Andrew Lawler, an acclaimed science journalist. And then, for a fictional perspective on an archaeological …
I’ve never hosted a hot chocolate party before. It seems like it should be easy. You just take a few kumkum-hotpots full of water, then dump half a container of cocoa mix into the reservoir, and bada bing bada boom, hot chocolate coming out of the spout. Oops, but someone left a hotpot on “boil” …
By Robin Jacobson. The Jewish book world is celebrating a bumper crop of excellent nonfiction picture books for children. My three personal favorites are: Dear Mr. Dickens by Nancy Churnin, The Singer and the Scientist by Lisa Rose (both for ages 5-10), and No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon’s Battle for Women’s Rights in Japan by …
By Robin Jacobson. On Bloody Sunday – March 7, 1965 – Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel watched in horror as violent images from Selma, Alabama, flooded his TV screen. Police brutally beat black demonstrators marching in support of voting rights. Despite the danger, Heschel flew to Selma to join Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil …
By Robin Jacobson. Two new novels, Antiquities by Cynthia Ozick and The Vixen by Francine Prose, are well worth reading, even if they leave you shaking your head. Antiquities is a charming comedy-drama, but it is hard to make sense of it. In contrast, Vixen is easy to understand, but the novel is an eclectic …
We are excitedly preparing for Interfaith Thanksgiving this Tuesday, November 23, 7:30pm, at Bethesda United Methodist Church (BUMC). The evening will be filled with blessings of gratitude, teaching, and music. Last month, Rabbi Harris and I had the pleasure of meeting Rev. Dr. HiRho Park, the new Lead Pastor at BUMC. She is a warm …
← Previous Page
Next Page →
