Thoughts on the Fast Day of Asarah B’Tevet
There are only two major fast days on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av, however we do have a number of minor fast days...
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Dec 23, 20227 min read
Thoughts on a Medieval Piyyut for Chanukah
We have seen in past essays piyyutim, liturgical poems, written for the various holidays of the Jewish year. Aside from poems that have...
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Dec 16, 202210 min read
Thoughts on the Torah Readings for Chanukah
In the book of Isaiah the prophet proclaims, “Hoy kol tzamei l’chu la’mayim,” “All who are thirsty let them come for water.” This might...
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Dec 9, 202211 min read
Thoughts on Chanukah Candle Lighting
As Chanukah approaches next week, beginning on Sunday evening, December 18th, I thought it might be appropriate to review the traditions...
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Dec 2, 20229 min read
Thoughts on the Ashrei (A Closer Look)
Early in this series, during the fall of 2019, we took a brief look at the prayer known from its opening word as “Ashrei.” As explained...
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Nov 18, 20229 min read
Thoughts on Psalm 20
Though I wrote a few paragraphs on this Psalm about a year or so ago, I did not go into much detail. This passage is usually read very...
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Nov 11, 20228 min read
Thoughts on Hinei Mah Tov
In our sanctuary at Temple B’nai Israel there is a piece of artwork on the right side of the bimah as you look toward it. It comprises a...
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Nov 4, 202210 min read
Thoughts on Havdalah
Some time back I wrote about the havdalah paragraph inserted into the opening weekday blessing of the Saturday night Amidah, the one that...
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Oct 28, 20228 min read
Thoughts on Tzur Mishelo
A couple of months back we looked at one of the traditional zemirot, the table songs for Shabbat, Yah Ribon Olam by Rabbi Yisrael Najara....
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Oct 21, 20229 min read
Thoughts on Ana B’khoach
There are a number of prayers that one finds in the Siddur that have been added to the traditional liturgy by the Kabbalists, Jewish...
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Oct 14, 202210 min read
Thoughts on the Hallel Psalms – Part two
Throughout the holiday of Sukkot and continuing on Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, we add the Hallel Psalms to our holiday worship....
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Oct 9, 20226 min read
Thoughts on the Hallel Psalms
As soon as Yom Kippur departs, we begin getting ready to celebrate the festival of Sukkot which begins this Sunday evening. We will be...
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Sep 30, 20228 min read
Thoughts on the Selichot Prayers on Kol Nidre Night
Before sundown on the eve of Yom Kippur, we gather in the synagogue for the Kol Nidre prayers. This formula annulling vows made between...
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Sep 23, 202210 min read
Thoughts on the Shofarot Section of Musaf the Rosh Hashanah
As we have seen in the previous two pieces that I’ve written, the Rosh Hashanah Musaf service is unique in that instead of the normal...
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Sep 16, 202211 min read
Thoughts on the Zichronot Section of the Rosh Hashanah Musaf
Last week we focused on the first of the three sections added into the Rosh Hashanah Musaf service, the Malchuyot or Kingship verses....
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Kimberly Ginsberg
Sep 9, 202211 min read
Thoughts on the Malchuyot Section of the Rosh Hashanah Musaf
When I have written about the Amidah in past posts, I have noted the difference between the number of blessings recited on weekdays and...
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Jeremy Ginsberg
Sep 5, 20229 min read
Thoughts on Modeh Ani
The opening line of the first paragraph in the Shulchan Aruch, the major 16th century law code of Rabbi Yosef Karo, in the laws of...
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Jeremy Ginsberg
Sep 5, 202210 min read
Thoughts on Eshet Chayil – A Woman of Valor
There is no requirement to recite specific biblical verses or special prayers at a funeral, however certain passages appear as suggested...
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Jeremy Ginsberg
Sep 5, 20229 min read
Thoughts on Yah Ribon
When I was in college, at the University of Pennsylvania, many years ago, a group of fellows who came regularly to the Hillel for Shabbat...
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Jeremy Ginsberg
Sep 5, 20228 min read
Thoughts on Yedid Nefesh
Thoughts on Yedid Nefesh Continuing with my college days reminiscences from last week, following my sophomore year living in the Jewish...
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