Matot – Unifying the S and P
One of the most common refrains made by visitors to a Spanish & Portuguese synagogue service is that it doesn’t sound Sephardic. That invariably leads to a discussion about the […]
Category Archives: Torah
Torah Thoughts Informed by my AshkeSephard Worldview
Beha’alotekha – Bevis and Brexit
As an American living in England, I’m often asked about Donald Trump. Now as a resident of England, my American friends ask me about Brexit. From the lack of city […]
Behukotai – Devotional Talmud Torah
How do you build a synagogue? That’s easy, fundraising. Also, bricks, brass and glass. Of course, religious objects, people and shelihei tzibbur. The real question though, is how does one […]
Behar – The Parnas and the Pauper
The term parnas is usually translated as the president or prince of the community. Indeed, the head of the mahamad in London is even called the parnas presidente. However, the […]
Kedoshim – and Canonicals
One of the most noticeable features at many of the Spanish and Portuguese synagogues are the canonical robes worn by the rabbis and hazanim (often called ministers). They are striking because they are so similar […]
Ahare Mot – From Loss to Life
People process loss in different ways. We’ve previously explored the different ways that Aharon and Judah Leon Abrabanel mourned the losses of their sons. Aharon was silent, while Abrabanel wrote […]
Montefiore and the Splitting of the Sea
In 1827 Sir Moses Montefiore wrote, I “threw into the sea a piece of my Passover cake, at the same time praying to G-d to preserve us, as He had […]
Passover, Shakespeare and Cervantes
The first day of this year’s Pesah, the 22nd and 23 of April, marked 400 years since the passing of two great literary giants. Englishman William Shakespeare and Spaniard Miguel […]
Pekude – The Making of a Mishkan
In Pekude as we conclude reading the book of Shemot (Exodus), the Mishkan (the desert Temple) is inaugurated. The portion begins with a recount of how much gold, silver, and […]
Shekalim – Sephardic Charity
Perashat Shekalim recalls the annual half-shekel gift given by each Jew to the Temple. We read this portion every year before the month of Adar, as the gift was due […]
