There is a Yiddish term for the parents of your son or daughter-in-law. The word is Machatunim and is plural. I think it’s a very useful word. When your adult child falls in love and gets married you want very much for your two families to get along and share happiness. As you are building this relationship…
Read More »High Holidays
Elul: A good time to make a promise to yourself
Despite the hot weather that may lead you to believe it is the height of summer, in fact the autumn is here. The kids are back in school which means that Hebrew school is also beginning, along with soccer practice, tutoring and all those kid-involved activities. We are in the month of Elul; a month…
Read More »Spiritual Guardrails
For a month before the High Holy Days begin with Rosh Hashanah, we have the month of Elul. It is a time to reflect on who we are, how we are doing morally and spiritually, and what we want to do better in the coming year. Rabbi Avi Schulman of Temple Beth Torah in Fremont…
Read More »Where Can I Access Shabbat Services Online?
(Image: Services at Beth Am) With COVID-19 impacting the entire world synagogues have moved rapidly to online services where ever possible. Orthodox congregations are not allowed to use electricity on the Sabbath. You can get on the email list for those synagogues and they will email members, and you, when they have programming available. They…
Read More »Don’t Orthodox Jews HAVE to fast on Yom Kippur?
Some Jews are commanded NOT TO FAST. Thus, the local Orthodox shul, Beth Jacob Congregation in Oakland, has sent out this reminder to their members several times in the last couple weeks. Location for Medically Required Food and Nursing Mothers: While the holiest day of the year involves five forms of physical restriction (see below for…
Read More »My Christian Boyfriend loves Yom Kippur, Won’t all Christians?
(A recent letter for my Mixed and Matched column in the J weekly.) Dear Dawn In the past you have said that a Jew shouldn’t make the High Holiday services the very first Jewish service that their non-Jewish partner experiences. But last year my observant Christian boyfriend loved Yom Kippur. He said he likes it…
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