Rabbi Chessin’s Monthly Column
How to Pump Up Your ‘Jewish Volume’
How to Pump Up Your Jewish VolumeBy Rabbi Judy Chessin Summertime may seem like a break, for some, from Judaism. Makor, our Sunday-School, is on hiatus, and we have a couple months before our High Holidays. The ebb and flow of our Jewish activity level has been measured in what some call “Jewish volume.” This […]
Music Brings Israeli Society Together
Music Brings Israeli Society TogetherBy Rabbi Judy Chessin Israeli society is complicated. There are crushing geo-political concerns on its borders and cultural differences among Israel’s own citizens. Within Israel’s Jewish population there are tensions between secular and observant Jews, and Ashkenazic, Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews, not to mention the differences among Israeli Arab Muslims, Christians, […]
May Celebrates Jewish Achievements
May Celebrates Jewish AchievementsBy Rabbi Judy Chessin Did you know that May is Jewish American Heritage month? President George W. Bush designated the month of May for an annual recognition and celebration of Jewish American achievements in and contributions to the United States of America. The resolution passed unanimously, in the House of Representatives in […]
Israel at 70: Independence Secure, Peace Elusive
Israel at 70: Independence Secure, Peace ElusiveBy Rabbi Judy Chessin On April 19, we observe the 70th anniversary of the birth of the modern state of Israel. Yom Ha’atzmaut might be compared to the United States’ proclamation of independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. The timing for the Jewish state was based on […]
Jews, Irish Share Corned Beef Tradition
Jews, Irish Share Corned Beef TraditionBy Rabbi Judy Chessin As we inaugurate Temple Beth Or’s First Corned Beef Festival, let’s ponder the age-old question: is corned beef Irish or Jewish? To be sure, corned beef and cabbage are considered the traditional fare of St. Paddy’s Day. But this was not always the case! Pork […]
Celebrating the Bounty of our Young People
September 1, 2018
Celebrating the Bounty of our Young PeopleBy Rabbi Judy Chessin The Reform Jewish ceremony of Confirmation has evolved over its brief time-span. Its origins go back to the late 1800’s when the founders of the reform movement introduced a number of radical changes to Jewish practice. One concern was that 13, the age of Bar/t Mitzvah, was […]