Holy Day Parsha: Freedom is not Just Another Word – It is about Giving

This week’s parsha (Torah portion) is an interesting parsha because what we read depends on where we are. If you are in Israel, then you will be reading parsha Shmini. If you are outside of Israel, then you will be reading a special Pesach (Passover) parsha. Is this because we Jews like to make things difficult? Not really. It goes back to our roots. Without going into all the details, it has to do with how a Jewish month begins … Continue reading

The Lotteries are Coming, the Lotteries are Coming

Purim.  It means, “Lotteries,” in Hebrew.  Ok, it really means lots, as in drawing lots, which is what a lottery is.  And it is a Jewish holiday where we give out gifts of food to friends, and charity to anyone who asks.  A day where we put on costumes and get so drunk we can’t tell the difference between:  “Blessed is Mordechai (the good guy),” and cursed is Haman (the bad guy).  Oh, and we read/listen to the story of … Continue reading