J Blog

Click to Enlarge Are you ready for Thanksgiving Break? We've got plenty of fun activities to celebrate! Monday, Nov 22 Thanksgiving J Camps | 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM | The J Kinder Camp: Reptile Man, art, gymnastics & more 1st-2nd Grade: Kaleidoscope Variety Camp: Master Chef JuniorChallenge, Reptile Man, gymnastics & more 3rd-5th Grade: Houston Hoppers Bowling Field Trip & an afternoon of fun 1st-5th Grade: Tennis Camp Family Art: ...

The Soul of the Mishna Rabbi Yaakov Nagen / Yeshivat Otniel / Maggid Press 2021 Reviewed by Rabbi Barry Gelman As a post-high school student in Yeshivat Beit Midrash L’Torah (BMT), I pledged to study the entire corpus of rabbinic legal rulings (4,192 Mishnayot) compiled between 70 CE and the second century, within a year. The pledge was made to “pay” for a specific honor during Simchat Torah services. Instead of appealing ...

On November 4, the holiday Sigd will be celebrated in Israel. The Sigd holiday originated from the Ethiopian Jewish community. Its name is derived from the Hebrew word for prostration (bowing down), "Sgida" (סגידה). During Sigd (celebrated on the 29th of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan – 50 days after Yom Kippur) the community marks the renewal of the covenant, between the Jewish people, G-d, and the Torah. On ...

וְאַבְרָהָ֣ם זָקֵ֔ן בָּ֖א בַּיָּמִ֑ים ֹֽAbraham was now old, advanced in years... (Gen. 24:1) This verse can also be translated to mean that “Abraham came to his old age with all his days.” Perhaps this means that ...

Dear Friends, Welcome to the very first edition of the J's Family Corner! We will use this space to offer interactive and thoughtful ideas for family engagement with the Parshat Hashavua (weekly Torah reading). Each week we will offer a summary of the weekly portion as well as videos, crafts, a brief thought, a book recommendation from PJ Library and more. We hope you enjoy! Parsha Summary – Parshat Chayei Sara Abraham purchases the ...

Abraham is depicted as a person committed to kindness, specifically welcoming in guests. A closer look at Abraham's actions sheds light just how far reaching this Mitzvah is. There are also profound lessons here in the realm of social justice. This week’s Torah portion begins with the story of God visiting Abraham. As if a visit from God is not strange enough, what happens next really takes us by surprise. While Abraham is visiting with ...

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ ...

Does the Torah support guaranteed work? While it is hard to answer affirmatively to this question, what is clear is that work is valued in the Torah as a source of dignity. As such, we should build a society that provides work for all those who are willing to work. וַתָּבֹ֨א אֵלָ֤יו ...

One of the grand ideas presented in the Torah is that humanity is created in God’s image. וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ ...

We are coming close to the end of the yearly cycle of reading the Torah. We will finish it, but can we complete it? תּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת ...