91快活林

Festival Ma’ariv (Higher Voice)

Jun 5, 2016 By 91快活林 | Prayer Recordings | Pesah | Shavuot | Shemini Atzeret | Simhat Torah | Sukkot

Recordings by Cantor Arianne BrownProject coordinator: Rabbi David Freidenreich

Behukkotai鈥檚 Challenge to Us

Jun 4, 2016 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Behukkotai

Blessing comes to fruition through journey. The journey may be as simple as lighting Shabbat candles or it may be as complicated as leaving the comfort of one鈥檚 home to discover new worlds. Either way, that which is familiar is left behind, and a new reality challenges one to grow and thus to earn God鈥檚 blessing. Such is the challenge of this week鈥檚 parashah.

Making Space for New Grain

Jun 4, 2016 By Ofra Arieli Backenroth | Commentary | Behukkotai

Naomi Shemer, one of the most famous songwriters and performers in Israel, is known for her thoughtful songs that touch upon universal themes. In this song, she speaks about the need for rejuvenation. Every morning is an opportunity for a new experience. As successful as our days might be, there is always a need to go back to the beginning and start again.

Festival Shaharit (Lower Voice)

Jun 4, 2016 By 91快活林 | Prayer Recordings | Pesah | Shavuot | Shemini Atzeret | Simhat Torah | Sukkot

Recordings by Rabbi and Hazzan Seth Adelson
Project coordinator: Rabbi David Freidenreich

Festival Shaharit (Higher Voice)

Jun 3, 2016 By 91快活林 | Prayer Recordings | Pesah | Shavuot | Shemini Atzeret | Simhat Torah | Sukkot

Recordings by Cantor Arianne Brown and Cantor Jennifer Kanarek CahnProject coordinator: Rabbi David Freidenreich

Festival Musaf (Lower Voice)

Jun 2, 2016 By 91快活林 | Prayer Recordings | Pesah | Shavuot | Shemini Atzeret | Simhat Torah | Sukkot

Recordings by Rabbi and Hazzan Seth Adelson
Project coordinator: Rabbi David Freidenreich

Festival Musaf (Higher Voice)

Jun 1, 2016 By 91快活林 | Prayer Recordings | Pesah | Shavuot | Shemini Atzeret | Simhat Torah | Sukkot

Recordings by Cantor Arianne Brown and Cantor Jennifer Kanarek CahnProject coordinator: Rabbi David Freidenreich

Facing Our Past and Looking Toward the Future

May 27, 2016 By Michal Raucher | Commentary | Behar

Recently, the US Treasury Department announced that Harriet Tubman will replace Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States, on the $20 bill. Tubman was born as a slave around 1820, ran away in 1849, and returned south repeatedly to usher more than 300 slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Her selection for the $20 bill is exciting news, because Tubman will be the first African American and the first woman to appear on federal paper currency. Women and civil rights leaders will be added to the $5 and $10 bills in the coming years, as well. While these changes are long overdue, the question is whether this change is merely symbolic or a further step toward acknowledging our nation鈥檚 ugly history of slavery. 

How Many Harvests

May 27, 2016 By Joel Alter | Commentary | Behar

In its radical reframing of our right to claim ownership of anything and anyone, Parashat Behar sets our mortality against God鈥檚 eternality, and our contingent lease to the Land against God鈥檚 permanent deed: 鈥淭he Land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the Land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with Me鈥� (Lev. 25:23).

Sage Voices

May 26, 2016 By 91快活林 | Short Video

A diverse group of rabbis and religious leaders speak about end-of-life issues and how they integrate Jewish tradition into their own teaching and care for others.  Created by the Center for Pastoral Education at 91快活林 as part of What Matters: Caring Conversations About End of Life, a joint project of the Center for Pastoral Education, JCC Manhattan and The New Jewish Home, with generous funding from Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

Thinking and Killing Philosophical Discourse in the Shadow of the Third Reich

May 25, 2016 By Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary | Public Event audio

In this Library Book Talk, Professor Alon Segev discusses his book, Thinking and Killing鈥擯hilosophical Discourse in the Shadow of the Third Reich, which deals with the contribution of eight German thinkers to the discussion about the Holocaust and the Final Solution.

Open Book Open Heart: Siddur Lev Shalem and the Future of Prayer

May 24, 2016 By 91快活林 | Public Event video

Lev Shalem editors Rabbis Edward Feld and Jan Uhrbach discuss with Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen the unique spiritual needs and challenges of this generation and how this new prayer book responds.

The Blasphemer鈥檚 Twin

May 20, 2016 By Tim Daniel Bernard | Commentary | Emor

This week鈥檚 parashah ends with a sin:

讜址讬旨执拽旨止讘 讘旨侄谉-讛指讗执砖旨讈指讛 讛址讬旨执砖讉职专职讗值诇执讬转 讗侄转-讛址砖旨讈值诐 讜址讬职拽址诇旨值诇.

The son of the Israelite woman pronounced the name [of God] and cursed. (Lev. 24:11)

Maybe we don鈥檛 need to overthink why a law code seen as given by God would determine that cursing God is problematic, but how severe a crime is this? Evidently, Moses was uncertain: the culprit was detained while Moses checked in with God (Lev. 24:12). Perhaps the negative consequence of this act seems unclear. After all, what harm can possibly come to God through human words?

An Illustration of Kiddush Levanah

May 20, 2016 By Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary | Commentary | Emor

The middle of this week鈥檚 parashah (Lev. 23) details the cycle of the Jewish holidays. Each holiday is listed according to its month and its day. The months of the Hebrew calendar are strictly lunar, from new moon to new moon. Kiddush Levanah, a selection of prayers in honor of the new moon, is traditionally recited at the end of the first or second shabbat of each month.

Remarks by Dr. Michael Fishbane

May 17, 2016

鈥淵ou Shall Fear Your God鈥�: Theological, Moral, and Psychological Implications

May 13, 2016 By Walter Herzberg | Commentary | Kedoshim

There are many exhortations in Leviticus 19, but only two of them conclude with 鈥�you shall fear your God, I am the Lord.鈥� We will focus on Leviticus 19:14鈥�

You shall not curse the deaf, and before the blind you shall not place a stumbling block; rather you shall fear your God, I am the Lord

鈥攁nd five traditional Jewish interpretations, to examine how the phrase 鈥測ou shall fear your God鈥� informs our understanding of the injunctions not to curse the deaf and not to place a stumbling block before the blind.

Kedushah in the Choir

May 13, 2016 By Nancy Abramson | Commentary | Kedoshim

This week鈥檚 parashah opens with a statement on holiness: 鈥淵ou shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy鈥� (Lev. 19:2). In the original Hebrew, the word 鈥測ou鈥� in this verse is in the plural form, implying that anyone can attain holiness the capacity for holiness is not only for those who are spiritually gifted. The plural 鈥測ou鈥� might also suggest that holiness is best achieved in the context of a community, rather than as a solo effort.

Religion and Diplomacy

May 9, 2016 By 91快活林 | Public Event video

Religion is personal, yet it looms large in international diplomacy, much as it factors into interpersonal relations. This year鈥檚 lecture is a high level conversation between two veteran diplomats, Archbishop Bernardito Auza and Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer, whose religions are essential to who they are and how they conduct their diplomatic work.

Answering the Call to Holiness Together

May 8, 2016 By Arnold M. Eisen | Public Event video

A guest sermon at the Riverside Church of New York.

Where Is Authority Found?

May 6, 2016 By Benjamin D. Sommer | Commentary | Aharei Mot

People familiar with the dietary laws of Judaism know that meat from an animal that died a natural death or was torn apart by wild beasts is not kosher. This is stated explicitly in the Torah. Exodus 22:30 reads, 鈥淵ou shall be my holy people: you may not eat meat torn by beasts in the field; you should throw it to dogs.鈥� (The Hebrew word for 鈥渢orn by beasts鈥濃��terefah鈥攔efers specifically to torn flesh in biblical Hebrew.)