Bo – Truth and Lies?
There is a striking disparity between God’s stated goal and Moshe’s demand to Pharaoh. Already at the burning bush, God declared his intention to bring the Jewish people to the […]
Monthly Archives: December 2013
Shemot – The Fifth Column Canard?
Pharaoh is the first world leader to levy an accusation that scores of others have since made throughout Jewish history. Pharaoh declares that the Jews must be enslaved lest ‘when […]
Hebrew School Education
I love being a Hebrew school principal. In 2009, I became the principal of the Hebrew School of Congregation Shearith Israel, the Polonies Talmud Torah School (I’ll write more about […]
Vayhe – Like Reuben and Shimon
The Yosef saga concludes with the passing of his father, Ya’acob. Finally, we can see how the brothers really feel about each other without their worrying about how it will […]
Pondering Portugal
As I walked Portugal’s medieval streets, and spoke to its people, I began to understand Portuguese Jewish history. I now ‘get’ the Portuguese Jews of long ago. I more fully […]
Shaare Tikva, Lisbon (& Tomar)
I ended my visit to Portugal in Lisbon, where Jewish life first resurfaced in Portugal during the early 19th century. Fittingly, I first went to see Portugal’s oldest remaining synagogue, […]
Belmonte, Trancoso and Guarda
I had no idea what to expect when I planned to spend Shabbat in the almost mythical Converso community of Belmonte, but what I experienced I won’t ever forget. There, […]
Shalom Says Hello 