Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Jews Rock! Some of these will suprise you
I promised some more lighthearted fare and here it is: I'm reading a great book by Scott Benarde called "Stars of David." He was a music critic for the Miami Herald and spoke to a small group of us in my town. So, naturally I bought his book and I'm glad I did. Jews have written songs you know and love; The team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote smash hits for Elivs Presley, including "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock" and "Stand By Me." Carol Kaye - A WOMAN! - played rhythym guitar on Richie...
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Monday, April 21, 2008
Popes and Kohains
In the hour that Pope John Paul II took his last breath, my son, Jacob, took his first as a man in the Jewish community. On his thirteenth birthday according to the Jewish calendar, Jacob was called up to read from the Torah for the first time as a Bar Mitzvah. It is customary at our Temple for the Rabbi to discuss a topic chosen by the Bar Mitzvah boy. Jacob asked our Rabbi to explain the role of the Kohain in Jewish life. Kohainim (Hebrew plural for Kohain), the priests of ancient times, are...
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Saturday, April 19, 2008
Setting up for the Seder
My son is home from boarding school - just to be with us for our two seders - then he'll zip back on Monday and continue to work hard in his classes. For the first 10 years of his education, he learned with other Jewish kids first in a synagogue pre-school and then in a Jewish Day School. By the time he got to High School, he was pretty much burned out on all the "Jewish Stuff" and chose a decidedly non-Jewish school. I thought he had turned his back entirely on the religion, and though it...
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Friday, April 18, 2008
Taking Stock - Making A difference
There are certain times of year, when I feel compelled to reflect on my life. Passover is one of those times. "To know even one life as breathed easier because you have lived." - Emerson, I believe. There's a great story - I'm sure many of you have heard - about the man who goes to the beach and sees thousands upon thousands of starfish washed up on the sand. He sees a boy bending down and throwing them back one by one into the water. "There are millions of starfish dying - you can't even make a...
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Thursday, April 17, 2008
Passover primer
Tomorrow I start cooking for 15 guests who will assemble at my house on Sat. night for Passover, or Pesach as we say it in Hebrew. During this springtime holiday, we recite a part of our history in a sometimes creative, sometimes raucous, way; done every year from generation to generation, it is our recounting of the events leading up to and including the Jew's exodus from Egypt. "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt," the answer to the Four Questions ("why is this night different from all other...
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