Everyday Faith
Holidays of spring
I would be remiss to not start today’s column without taking time to reflect on the ice-pocalypse we survived last week. Northern Michigan saw a storm unlike any seen in past decades, which has resulted in many still (12 days…
Keep readingNever forget…
“Never forget …” Yet, it seems many Americans have done just that. Jan. 27, 1945, is the date that Soviet troops liberated Birkenau and Auschwitz concentration camps in Poland. On Nov. 1, 2005, Resolution 60/7 was adopted by the United…
Keep readingHappy holidays!
Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas! Oh! Happy New Year! In essence, happy holidays to all who celebrate this time of year. Some are put off by the term, “happy holidays,” as it can be construed to mean the negation of a…
Keep readingShalom! Hello!
Hello! For many, if the term “shalom” is recognizable, it is known as a Jewish greeting, similar to saying “aloha” when in Hawaii. Which it is. Sometimes, it is understood as a term one says when leaving a friend or…
Keep readingBissel of This and That
Rabbi Maya Leibovich’s Visit — July 24, 2021
Recently, Rabbi Maya Leibovich and her husband Menachem, serving as lay cantor, visited Temple Beth-El and led our Shabbat service, as part of our Guest Rabbi program, which is generously funded by the Ravitz Foundation. Rabbi Maya was the first…
Keep readingMemorial Day
With Memorial Day taking place next Monday, May 31st, I started thinking about all the Jewish men and women who have served in the U.S military in general, as well as those who sacrificed their lives during their time of…
Keep readingPassover
This year, the eight-day festival of Passover, which commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt, will be celebrated from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan or March 27 – April 4, 2021.…
Keep readingPurim: The Feast of Lots
A Bissel of This and That The joyous holiday of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar (late winter/early spring). Purim 2021 begins on Thursday night, February 25, and continues through Friday, February 26, (February 27-28 in Jerusalem). It…
Keep readingMartin Luther King Jr. Day
A Bissel of This and That (Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed this year on January 18, 2021. The following excerpts come directly from an article written by Peter Dreier, titled “Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights…
Keep readingChanukah: The Festival of Lights and Rededication
A Bissel of This and That Chanukah (also spelled Hanukkah) is an eight-day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, which begins this year on Thursday evening, December 10th and ends Friday evening, December 18,…
Keep readingKristallnacht — The Night of Broken Glass
A Bissel of This and That On the night of November 9-10, 1938, the sounds of breaking glass shattered the air in cities throughout Germany and parts of Austria, while fires across the countries devoured synagogues and Jewish institutions. By…
Keep readingSukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah
Sukkot (Feast of Booths or Tabernacles) is one of the three biblically based pilgrimage holidays known as the shalosh regalim and is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. This year it is observed from October 2-9,…
Keep readingRosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
A Bissel of This and That Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the universe, the day G‑d created Adam and Eve and it is celebrated as the head of the Jewish year. It begins at sundown on the eve of Tishrei 1 (Sept.…
Keep readingElul: The Jewish Month of Repentance
A Bissel of This and That The current Hebrew month of Elul (observed this year from August 21st to September 18th, 2020) is traditionally a time of personal reflection and spiritual repentance in preparation for the High Holy Days of…
Keep readingTisha B’Av
A Bissel of This and That This month we will be focusing on Tisha B’Av, or the ninth day of the month of Av, which is observed this year from the evening of Wednesday, July 29th through the evening of…
Keep readingHatikva — The Hope
A Bissel of This and That Our thanks to David Schindler for the original topic and input. Hatikva, what is now the National Anthem of Israel, originated as a nine-stanza poem titled “Tikvateinu” meaning “our Hope.” Written in Palestine (then…
Keep readingShavuot
A Bissel of This and That Welcome to the first installment of “A Bissel (a little bit in Yiddish) of This and That”. Future installments will hopefully include information about Jewish Holidays and Traditions, as well as lessons from the…
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Temple Beth-El, Alpena 