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Downtown Crime Report: Our Etrog Was Stolen
Someone stole the etrog from our congregational sukkah. On Wednesday afternoon I left a lulav and etrog, along with an information and how to sheet, in the Temple Beth Hatfiloh sukkah so that anyone who wished to perform the ritual of waving the lulav and etrog could. I peeked in Thursday morning and interestingly the…
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10 Ways to Celebrate Sukkot/Simchat Torah
Our busy month of holidays continues. Sukkot begins Wednesday at sundown, ending with Simchat Torah next Thursday night. Here are some ways to celebrate! Dwell in the Sukkah: Building and dwelling in a sukkah is one of the traditional mitzvot (sacred obligations) associated with the holiday; we build a temporary structure to remember both the wanderings…
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10 Ways to Mark Yom Kippur
Fast—it is customary to not eat or drink (even water). If we don’t need to worry about our basic needs, then we will be more focused on the task at hand. And plus, fasting is uncomfortable just as doing the work of repentance is uncomfortable. Don’t Fast if you Can’t—If for health reasons you must…
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Erev Rosh Hashanah 5775: “The 7 Things I Learned About Life from Legos”
I have, as many of you know, faced my share of physical challenges over these past few years. I have had to face surgery twice, both requiring about a month-long recovery with physical discomfort. And I suffered from serious illness, also requiring hospital stays, pain medicine, IV, antibiotics and a longer than hoped for recovery.…
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Wishing you a New Year of Health, Happiness and Legroom
My recent posting on My Jewish Learning: Leave Your Seatbacks in their Full, Upright Position
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10 Ways to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah
How to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah 1. Dip apple in honey and eat it. This symbolizes the wish for a fruitful and sweet year. 2. Make a nice dinner on Erev Rosh Hashanah and share it with family and friends. Alternatively you can have a nice lunch/early dinner on the afternoon of the first day of…
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Graffiti strikes Temple Beth Hatfiloh
For those not friends with me on Facebook, you may have missed this episode. I was walking back to the synagogue from a downtown appointment when I passed our corner sign (which I don’t pass everyday since the entrance and parking lot are on the other side) and noticed some graffiti. I took some photos,…
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Be a Better Cookie
I’m going to be taking a break from writing these next few weeks, or at least give myself the permission not to. As we draw closer to the High Holidays, I am hard at work on all the details of these sacred days, as well as preparing my messages. So I will hold back from…
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Pass the Ice Water, It’s Elul
If you are tied into social media, you are probably aware of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. It is a viral phenomenon in which people challenge each other to dump a bucket of ice water on their head, in the name of raising awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the fatal degenerative disorder more commonly…