Pesachim 2a, right from the mishna says, “On the night of the 14th of Nissan, one searches for chametz by candlelight.” This is called bedikas chametz. The rabbis hotly debate the whys and whatfors (and accompanying minutia), but what it comes down to, for me, is a fun but weird way to get my children to
Commiserating with Judith on adjacent ellipticals at the JCC (and posting it to Instagram) may feel like you’re fighting anti-Semitism, but seriously, no, it’s not.
A few weeks ago, I cut some recent deadfall on our property to start “seasoning it” in our woodpile. Last night, after Shabbos, I grabbed some wood from the wrong pile for our woodstove, and realized later that my fingers were sticky. I thought it was a cool corollary to Tu B’Shevat, where we know
A few years ago, I read a book about the origin of Hanoten Teshua, the traditional Jewish prayer for government.1 The evolution of this prayer or even the evolution of Jewish prayers for nation, is clearly linked to the Jewish experience in Diaspora. This prayer, of course, even though in rare liturgical use by the majority
I think that if the beast who sleeps in man could be held down by threats—any kind of threat, whether of jail or of retribution after death—then the highest emblem of humanity would be the lion tamer in the circus with his whip, not the prophet who sacrificed himself. But don’t you see, this is
In working on my book about “kosher” backpacking, one thing stands out – Judaism isn’t really big on the outdoors. Even Sukkot, which to me screams “outdoor holiday,” is commoditized and safely packaged, even among the Ultra-Orthodox. Sure, there’s camp, but take your kids to one, and it’s not about outdoor adventure. It’s about Zionism,
Hempfield School District in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, made national news recently, and not in a good way. Before I continue, both of my parents, my uncles, my aunts, most of my cousins, all graduated from Hempfield School District. My nephew presently is a student in the district. Many of my friends, non-Jewish and Jewish alike,
Amelia and I went on one final backpacking trip this past summer before we moved to Maine. We took our big, loyal, and lovable Great Dane, Herschel, with us to the Pine Grove Furnace section of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania. Starting from the state park, we made our way to a nearby pad-site /
Tevye and Golde sang: “May the Lord protect and defend you. May He always shield you from shame. May you come to be In Yisroel a shining name.” When it’s just us in the car, Amelia demands Manilow. There’s something disconcerting about a 12-year-old who likes Lorde and Pink and whatever else is contemporary singing
Writer, President of Bangor's Congregation Beth Israel, soon-to-be-retired-soldier, programmer, father, musician, Heeb, living in the woods of Maine with three ladies and a dog. Brian is also a rabbinical student with the Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary.
Director of Education for Congregation Beth Israel in Bangor, Maine, runs joint religious school with our sister congregation, special educator and former school board member, mother to Avi and Nezzie.
