Last year Cantor Linda Hirschhorn of Beth Sholom in San Leandro explained the VERY confusing issue of HOW MANY DAYS IS SUKKOT? I saved her remarks to share with you at the appropriate time. At services I was asked if Sukkot was seven or eight days and I first said eight and then immediately corrected myself…
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Wow, here’s the new year, 5782, and I owe you a list of basic Judaism classes being offered around the Bay. I’ll start now and add on as I gather more. Introduction to the Jewish Experience This is a 24-week online class in Basic Judaism. The series is for anyone who hasn’t had a…
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Below are just some examples of the High Holy Day services available in the Bay Area. Check the websites of synagogues near you – or go national – there are so many free online options. Beth Am, Reform, Los Altos Beth El, Reform, Berkeley Beth Emek, Reform, Pleasanton Beth Sholom, Conservative, San Francisco B’nai Emunah,…
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(This column for Mixed and Matched in the J-weekly originally appeared May 4, 2021) I was delighted by the many responses to my April column, “At a loss after my rabbi said I’m not allowed to read Torah.” Let’s walk through the concerns that were raised. One man wrote, “You need to tell the Conservative…
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(This letter originally appeared in my Mixed and Matched column in the J-weekly on April 14, 2021) Dear Dawn, I am from an interfaith family; my dad isn’t Jewish. I was raised and identify as Orthodox. Jews assume that it must be OK to criticize Orthodox Jews to my face. When they realize they are…
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There’s a song from the sixties by Buffalo Springfield with the line, “Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.” It’s been more than 50 years and we still can’t seem to get past the idea that “I’m right and that makes everyone else wrong.” How appropriate is Cantor Linda Hirschhorn‘s email to her congregation, Beth Sholom of…
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