Shalom.  As many of you know, I have been involved in helping the Jewish communities in Ethiopia for some years, including making three visits there and forming anJie: Aiding Needy Jews in Ethiopia.   I invite you to please participat... Continue Reading »

Dear Evan, At 1:30 this morning -- the 18^th day of Nisan, the fourth day of Pesach, the third day of counting the omer, in the 64^th year since the reestablishment of Jewish sovereignty in our national homeland, and (according to our tradition) the 5,773th year since creation, corresponding to March 29, 2013 -- you were delivered from Mitzrayim (literally “the narrow places”) and entered the world. ...

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NEW ADULT EDUCATION CLASS FOR PASSOVER Thursdays, March 14 & 21, 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Tikvah, Fullerton, CA.  How have Jews understood the Passover narrative? Since “The Torah has seventy faces,” (Bamidbar Rabbah 13:15), there’s no “correct” interpretation. Even so, various approaches have dominated at different times in our history, reflecting the circumstances in which we have found ourselves. We will sample such major genres as: Midrash, P’shat (rational/contextual), PaRDeS, and Kabbalah. Enrich your Passover Seder(s), future Bible (Torah/Tan”akh) study, and your understanding of Jewish history and cultural traditions! Please call Temple office at (714) 871-3535 or email tbtaa@sbcglobal.net to RSVP. 

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For our next Mussar class, March 31 at 1:30, please: 1) read Morinis's pages on Patience, 55-62, 2) think about/post in a conspicuous place in your home and/or office, repeat many times to yourself his phrase "Whatever may obstruct me from reaching my foals, it is possible to bear the burden of the situation" (or any other suitable phrase you prefer), and 3) jot down how you encounter the trait of "Patience" in your life between now and the class!    
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This week’s (3/24) Opening the Jewish Treasure Chest: the Siddur class will take place at 1:30 pm.  After reviewing the seven “rubrics” of the daily morning prayer service and their themes, we will explore the image-rich and Kabbalah-inspired prayers and traditions for donning tallit (prayer shawl) and t’fillin (phylacteries).  Please review these prayers in your siddur and bring your tallit and t’fillin!  Women don't wear t'fillin, you might say??? See the accompanying image!  
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Everyday Holiness Workshop Introduction:  The iconic modern Jewish philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote: “Religion is not a feeling for something that is, but an answer to the One who is asking us to live in a certain way. It is in its ver... Continue Reading »

Jewish Education Course: Opening the Jewish Treasure Chest: The Siddur. On alternate Shabbat afternoons starting February 25th at my home, 1:30-3:00 pm. Please RSVP via email or phone! Introduction: It might be said that whereas the Torah is J... Continue Reading »