Sign In Forgot Password

Religious School Blog

02/08/2022 02:51:11 PM

Feb8


 

Confirmation & Celebration! 

05/20/2022 11:07:27 AM

May20

Ora Cohen Rosenfeld

Around this time of year, very often on the holiday of Shavuot, young Jewish teens participate in a Confirmation in Reform and Conservative synagogues.  The Jewish Confirmation is a modern invention, which unlike the Bar Mitzvah (there was no Bat Mitzvah), does not have its root in ancient Jewish text.  Unlike B’nai Mitzvah, Confirmation is not centered on synagogue ritual, but rather a celebration of Jewish education and Jewish...Read more...

The Days of Awe

05/06/2022 11:51:43 AM

May6

Ora Cohen Rosenfeld

This past Monday and Tuesday marked the start of the new Jewish month, Iyar.  The month of Iyar contains central points in the life of the Jewish nation, both happy and sad.  These essential holidays are not biblical, like Sukkot and Passover, but modern additions to the calendar.  A number of weeks ago, we marked Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day.  In Israel and around the world, ceremonies take place to remember and...Read more...

Yay!  It's Purim!

03/11/2022 12:08:56 AM

Mar11

Ora Cohen Rosenfeld

It’s the countdown to Purim!  If you or your child is joining in the festivities, you should already be outthinking, or better yet, have chosen, your Purim costume.  Are there Hamentashen baking?  What??  You’ve never baked a Hamentashen?  No problem, here is an easy recipe.  If you have baked chocolate chip cookies, you can make a hamentashen.  If you can’t bake a decent chocolate chip cookie, or...Read more...

Prayer for Ukraine 

02/24/2022 01:40:09 PM

Feb24

Rabbi Bruce Aft

Dear Friends,

As I write this column we are all watching the events occurring in the Ukraine.  Our thoughts and prayers are for peace, but right now, those prayers do not seem to be working.

During a week in which we read Parshat VaYakhel and we talk about what helps build a community, I ask myself, "what should our community do at a time like this?"

Honestly, I reflect upon the commentaries that are suggesting...Read more...

Compassion & Understanding

02/17/2022 01:43:38 PM

Feb17

Rabbi Bruce Aft

This week we read about the Golden Calf in the Torah.  We know that we made a mistake and yet immediately following the incident with the Golden Calf, we are told of G-d's mercy.

How do we compassionately communicate our displeasure with what people have done?

You may want to discuss this with your dear ones and friends.

I also thought you might want to read what I was given after I had made a mistake when I was...Read more...

Teach Them

02/10/2022 11:55:02 AM

Feb10

Ora Cohen Rosenfeld

     וְשִׁנַּנְת לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִברְתָּ בָּם 
Teach them repeatedly to your children, speaking of them when you sit at home and when you travel on the way.


The Shema prayer tells us that, as parents, we are our children’s most important teachers.  It is our role to teach our children and to model for them through our own actions, a connection and a love...Read more...

Our Heritage 

02/10/2022 10:08:44 AM

Feb10

Rabbi Bruce Aft

Dear Friends,

How many of us have heard, "dress for success" when we have been scheduling something important?  How important are our clothes?

Our Torah reading this week speaks about sacred clothing and how our ancient holy people would dress up.  Today we are far less formal and although rabbis used to wear robes, that doesn't happen much anymore (except white robes or a kittel on the High Holidays and Three Major...Read more...

Where are the Latkes?

12/01/2021 02:01:00 PM

Dec1

Ora Cohen Rosenfeld

December, 2021 Shofar Article

Throughout my career as an educator, there is always one week that I go home from work every day smelling like oil, and that is the week of Hanukkah. Every classroom celebrates with dreidels and chocolate gelt, but making latkes has always been a central activity. With applesauce or sour cream, plain potato, sweet potato or zucchini, the Hanukkah latke has been a favorite class treat.

This year,...Read more...

Tue, March 19 2024 9 Adar II 5784