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Afikoman Matzah and Zecharia Baumel’s Tzitzit

The big thing this Shabbat is the Desserts. We have six desserts in this year’s Bakeoff to taste, enjoy and vote for your favorite. 

It’s two weeks to Passover. So here’s a dessert question about Passover. Why is Afikoman Matzah called … Read the rest

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Larry Kagan’s “Shadow Art” & Chassidus on Creation

Larry Kagan’s fascinating “Shadow Art” exhibit is on display at the Albany Institute of History and Art until June 2019. I have been so taken by the brilliance and depth and its meaningful relevance that I have gone there first … Read the rest

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Keeping a Half-Shekel Coin in Your Wallet

The biblical “Machtzit HaShekel” Half-Shekel contribution to the Mishkan tabernacle is a special seasonal Torah reading in the weeks leading up to Purim. It’s a half-coin piece, in America it would be something like a 50 cent piece. I was … Read the rest

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Don’t Walk in Front of Me… Song and Commentary

There’s a popular Jewish camp song (sung also at Hebrew schools and JCC’s etc) that seems to have been mistakenly attributed to Albert Camus, and author is (presently) unknown. It goes something like this (with a few variations):

Don’t walk Read the rest

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More 2019 Football Inspiration at Shabbos Lunch

Pro football isn’t just a sport, they are in it to win. We, too, should try to triumph! – AJ T. 

Football is about having goals and reaching them. What are your goals? What are you doing to get there? … Read the rest

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SuperBowl LIII (53) Jewish Inspiration

For our Hakhel Halftime project, we like to come up with meaningful Jewish Superbowl/Football connections and insights that people can share at their Superbowl parties. 

We already have a bunch of ideas and insights from past years, see this Read the rest

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5 Halachot of Sports Fans

OK, we’re using “halachot” (Jewish laws) in jest, but think of these Sports Fan “halachot” as a meaningful parable for Jewish involvement:

1) Knowledge

Good fans know their teams. They are aware of their playing schedules, know their rosters, have … Read the rest

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Be Like Onion.

Be Like Onion!

This is a Chassidic story and expression from our daughter’s Sara’s Bas-Mitzvah art project & booklet:

The Mitteler Rebbe encouraged his Chassidim to make a special effort to stop in villages and towns along their journeys to … Read the rest

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These Days a Chassid is a Baal Teshuvah

“…These Days a Chassid is a Baal Teshuvah…”

by Rabbi Shlomo Galperin

This memory of my uncle goes back to my school days in Tashkent, Russia in the 1960’s. It’s about a conversation we had before dinner one school night Read the rest

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The Modern Day Maccabee Battle Within

The third night of Chanukah (2018) BeLev Echad IDF wounded veterans soldiers talk at our Modern-Day Maccabee event was more meaningful & personal than I expected. 

A key issue they shared was how their mental & emotional rehabilitation was harder … Read the rest

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