Jewish Culture

Death, Mourning and especially Shiva

I think the best time to talk about death is on a summer day when dying seems preposterous and one can’t be sad because the flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping and all is right with the world. So let’s take a moment and talk about Death and Mourning while it is not at…

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ISRAEL!

Day One I joined the Beth Jacob congregational trip to Israel in June. The idea was to follow the books of Tanach (the bible) from the time that the Israelites entered the land of Israel in the book of Joshua and then trace the history through the books of Judges, Samuel, Kings, visiting the sites…

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The Music of Shabbat

The Music of Shabbat with Cantor Ilene Keys What are the common melodies, why do they change, what’s the difference between songs and chanting? What is the role of the cantor in prayer? Why have a cantor and a rabbi in prayer services? In what way is the cantor clergy? What are the duties of…

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Try something new: Italian Charoses

In Italy there are various regional versions of charoset. The charoset of Padua has prunes, raisins, dates, walnuts, apples, and chestnuts. In Milan they make it with apples, pears, dates, almonds, bananas, and orange juice. The following is a general version. 3 apples, sweet or tart. 2 pears 2 cups sweet wine 1/3 cup (50…

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