Sefirat Ha’omer and Transformations
The mitzvah of Sefirat Haomer, is the counting of days and weeks from Pesah to Shavuot. More precisely though, the count is not from Pesah but from the Omer offering, […]
Author Archives: shalommorris
Polonies Talmud Torah School – New York
The position of Educational Director at Shearith Israel (Manhattan, New York) includes a variety of responsibilities. The aspect that I was most intrigued about when interviewing was that of Hebrew School principal. Prior to […]
Chatham Square Cemetery – New York
The most deeply meaningful service that I’ve conducted as a rabbi at Shearith Israel is the annual memorial service at the congregation’s colonial-era cemetery. I had the pleasure of conducting […]
Passover and The Living Law of Moses
It is true that Christianity is inextricably tied to Judaism. Not only is this so historically, but also theologically, as in the Christian self-conception as ‘New Israel.’ This adoption, or […]
Hebrew School Curricula
I first realized how much can be accomplished at Hebrew School when I became principal of Shearith Israel’s ‘Polonies Talmud Torah School‘ five years ago. I saw that it is possible to […]
Purim and the Secret Esthers of Today
There is a custom on Purim to wear masks. The origins of this practice likely lies in the Christian celebration of Carnival, and its calendrical proximity to Purim. However, the […]
Ki Tisa – The Sabbath Symbol
‘You shall speak to the Children of Israel, saying: However, you must keep my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, to know that […]
Terumah – Portuguese Synagogues and Spiritual Aspirations
Gold, wood, silver, tapestry of wool and linen, and copper. The vast amount of wealth poured into the Mishkan was remarkable, particularly as it was donated by former slaves. What […]
Santa Fe, New Mexico
How I came to teach a class at Congregation Kol Beramah in Santa Fe, New Mexico is a story which kind of spans 400 years, but more personally, the past […]
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 […]
Shalom Says Hello 