A Talmudic Reading Of The High Holiday Prayer Un’taneh Tokef
Un’taneh Tokef: What makes this prayer so attractive? Could it be the poignant question, “Who will live and who will die?”
Dr. Judith Hauptman
Un’taneh Tokef: What makes this prayer so attractive? Could it be the poignant question, “Who will live and who will die?”
ובאמת, לצד האסונות שידענו לאורך אלפי שנות קיומנו, ידענו גם לקום, להתאחד ולהתחזק מתוך השבר. וכך יהיה גם הפעם.
Despite the disasters we have faced, we have known how to rise, unite, and grow stronger from the fractures.
A short prayer, inspired by and quoting the Prophet Isaiah, connecting us to nature, the environment, and all of creation.
Engaging with Operation Isaiah is a demand to eliminate the scourge of hunger. May we see the day when healthy food is available to all.
May the shofar blasts become our catalysts inspiring us to civic participation and the preservation of our democracy.
May these Days of Awe help us understand more deeply and act more forcefully on behalf of the enslaved and marginalized in our society.
While Jewish law contains many opinions, the moral imperative is clear: every effort should be made to negotiate the release of hostages without delay.
Heschel writes in 1973 in “Reflections on Death”: Life here and now is the task. Every moment can be an achievement.
Written by S.Y. Agnon in the Conservative Judaism Journal for those who died in the War of 1948, these words are especially fitting today.
May God remember all the women, men, and children of Israel who were brutally murdered on the 7th of October.
This Yizkor, for the victims of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, attempts to capture the personal details of the people killed on this day.
חווינו אחד מן האסונות הגדולים ביותר בתולדות המדינה, ומאז, כיצד ראוי לחגוג את שמחת תורה בשנת תשפ״ה?
With the ongoing tragedy of October 7th and the ongoing hostage situation and war, how do we appropriately celebrate Simchat Torah in 5785?
Yom Kippur is a reminder about yirah, about awe. God is here, powerful, and dangerous. The best response to that is a sense of yirah.
דקות לפני כניסת החג, מתכנסים בבית הכנסת, לוקחים כלי חרס שביר ביד ואומרים האלה.
A ritual and intention before the start of Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah this year in 2024/5785 based on a Talmudic story.
This year, we should learn to experience the embrace of Sukkot by embracing one another, knowing that God is reaching out to embrace us, too.
This year, as we feel as fragile as the Sukkah itself, we offer a framework for Sukkot and Ushpizin – our Exalted Sanctified Guests.
Fasting, praying, and ancient rituals invite and inspire us to begin Ḥeshbon Hanefesh and perform sincere Teshuvah.
Fasting, praying, and ancient rituals invite and inspire us to begin Ḥeshbon Hanefesh and perform sincere Teshuvah.
Acknowledging God’s sovereignty marks our responsibility toward all of life, through which the one creative, life-sustaining spirit flows.
How might we make meaning of the Binding of Isaac, a troubling, watershed story that shakes us to our core? What can we learn?
Tradition reminds me that even if I don’t feel hope now, it’s still here. Maybe it isn’t present right now, maybe we will find it.
המסורת מזכירה לי שאפילו שאני לא מרגישה את התקווה עכשיו – היא איפשהו כאן. ואולי היא נוכחת כרגע, אולי נמצא אותה.
Yom Kippur is 25 hours of fasting, hundreds of prayers, and thousands of words. Here are 7 things you can do to make it more meaningful.
By understanding the nuance of Divine justice, we are given a powerful model for healthier relationships in the human realm.
Our hearts are big enough to hold all the emotions we feel during this holiday season, as we pray, eat, and observe the holidays together.
The moral life, with its choices, its responsibilities, its missteps, and its modes of repair, is an integral part of what it means to be Jewish.
The delicate balancing act of celebrating and observing the High Holidays can be mixed with a bit of overwhelm. Here’s what you can do.
A rockstar-poet-monk and a humble Jew, a roshi and just another rabbi. In some moments, we trade places, imagining what could have been.
Memory-making, the way we tell ourselves our story, the way we frame our history, offers the opportunity to give us power and, ultimately, hope.
Living in the Sukkah can mean just living in an outdoor hut for a week, but it can also bring so much more meaning into your life.
With lessons on failure, the value of admitting our mistakes, and allowing ourselves and others to apologize, the Book of Jonah has much to teach us.
Teshuvah in the 10 days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are sacred days, but what about the days before and beyond those?