Thoughts on Prayers for Miracles
As we know, Jewish holidays are either “early” or “late” each year; they never seem to come “on time.” This is due to the Jewish calendar...
top of page
TEMPLE B'NAI ISRAEL
Since 1904, congregants come from Aurora and the surrounding communities.
(630) 892-2450
Search
Doug Zeitlin
- Nov 17
- 8 min
Thoughts on Adonai S’fatai Tiftach
Our Jewish tradition prescribes three daily prayer services, shacharit in the morning, minchah in the afternoon, and maariv at night. The...
4 views0 comments
Temple B'nai Israel
- Nov 10
- 6 min
Thoughts on Additions to the Morning Service
We have noted in the past that while there are certain prayers regarded by our Sages as obligatory, that passing centuries have added to...
7 views0 comments
Temple B'nai Israel
- Nov 6
- 6 min
Thoughts on the Akedah
Thoughts on the Akedah (The Binding of Isaac) When we think of the Akedah, the story of the binding and near-sacrifice of our ancestor...
1 view0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Oct 27
- 6 min
Thoughts on the Hostages in Gaza
Names are very important in Jewish tradition. The second book of the Torah, known in English as Exodus, bears the name “Shmot” in Hebrew...
25 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Oct 20
- 9 min
Thoughts on Prayers for the State of Israel
In the wake of the recent unprovoked attack on the State of Israel and its citizens by the terrorist group Hamas, resulting in the murder...
14 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Oct 13
- 4 min
Israel
Saturday morning. Shabbat. Shemini Atzeret. Simchat Torah in Israel. Z'man Simchateinu we call it in our liturgy, the season of our joy....
11 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Oct 6
- 9 min
Thoughts on Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) on Sukkot
In the Tanach, the Jewish Bible, five small books are grouped together following the larger Books of Psalms, Proverbs, and Job, among the...
6 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Sep 29
- 10 min
Thoughts on the Lulav and the Etrog
Somewhere tucked away, ready to pop out when I least expect it, I have a campaign-style button with a picture of a milkshake on it. This...
5 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Sep 7
- 8 min
Thoughts on the Symbolic Foods for Rosh Hashanah
I was in Evanston last week at the “Kosher Jewel” to pick up a couple of items and as I glanced at the packages in the kosher meat...
14 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Sep 1
- 10 min
Thoughts on Encountering a Different Prayer Nusach
The word “nusach” which in modern Hebrew means a formula, a version, or a rite, with regard to the prayer service, is used in two...
3 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Aug 12
- 10 min
Thoughts on Sheva D’nechemta – Seven Haftarot of Comfort
During the past two weeks we have entered into a period of preparation for the High Holiday season which will soon be upon us. I wrote a...
3 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Jul 27
- 9 min
Thoughts on Eicha – The Book of Lamentations
This week, we come to the end of the three weeks, beinhametzarim, between the straits, the two fast days, that I wrote about a couple of...
3 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Jul 21
- 9 min
Thoughts on the Direction of Prayer
For the past year, I have been serving, in addition to my rabbinic duties at Temple B’nai Israel, as one of the registry chaplains at...
10 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Jul 13
- 7 min
Thoughts on the Three Weeks
Unless we regularly consult the Jewish calendar, many of us are blissfully unaware of the significance of the period of time that is...
2 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Jun 29
- 7 min
Thoughts on Yom Kippur Katan
It continues to amaze me as I examine Jewish traditions of prayer, that even after four years of weekly columns, close to 200 essays,...
11 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Jun 22
- 7 min
Thoughts on Perek Shirah
Several years back, I stumbled upon some interesting volumes published by a young Orthodox rabbi from Great Britain, living in Israel,...
3 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Jun 16
- 2 min
Words from the Rabbi June 16, 2023
Friends, As the threat of Covid recedes, more and more activities have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Of course, now that we have been...
7 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Jun 9
- 9 min
Thoughts on Bar and Bat Mitzvah
Most rabbis by now have given up on explaining that there is really no verb “to bar mitzvah someone” or to be “bat mitzvahed.” Bar and...
5 views0 comments
Kimberly Ginsberg
- Jun 2
- 5 min
Thoughts on the Sabbath Song Yom Zeh L’Yisrael
I still have fond memories of younger years in college and Seminary joining in song around the Shabbat table. I’ve written about it...
8 views0 comments
bottom of page