Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue
Posted by Kar-Ben Team on 12/8/2021 to
Jewish Values
Tzedek, tzedek tirdof.
The late Ruth Bader Ginsburg brought the biblical phrase back into modern parlance, but the pursuit of justice has always been fundamental to what it means to be Jewish. Justice is a work in progress that we should never assume is complete. ...
How Good It Is for a Community to Come Together
Posted by Kar-Ben Team on 11/12/2021 to
We repeat the words of Psalm 133 every time we sing Hinei Ma Tov . The oft-quoted psalm says that when all God's children live together in harmony, it will be "like precious oil poured on the head." Civil Rights leaders have often
The Most Important Stories Always Have a Song
Posted by Kar-Ben Team on 11/4/2021 to
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer , was the hit of the 1949 Christmas season. Ironically, songwriter Johnny Marks, who continued to produce wildly popular Christmas songs throughout the 50s and 60s, didn’t celebrate Christmas because he was Jewish.
Have No Fear, Pinky Bloom Is Here!
Posted by Kar-Ben Team on 10/20/2021 to
A crime has occurred. Fear and suspicion grip the community. Enter a low-profile hero to follow the clues and solve the case. The detective novel is one of the most famous literary genres of all time. Not even kids can resist a good whodunit!
When Celebrating Sukkot, ‘The More the Merrier’
Posted by Kar-Ben Team on 9/20/2021 to
Sukkot & Simchat Torah
During
Sukkot, we are called to practice hakhnasat orchim (hospitality
to guests). It is said that on each
night of Sukkot, magical guests known as ushpizin visit the sukkah. On
this VIP guest list are....
Healing the World with Two Simple Words
Posted by Kar-Ben Team on 9/15/2021 to
High Holidays
A child first learning to apologize, will typically hang their head low in shame, avoiding eye contact. The words “I’m sorry” will be soft and meek. Apologizing is publically admitting to doing something wrong and causing suffering to others. The point of apologizing is to acknowledge where we have gone wrong so that we may do better going forward. Being forgiven is just the icing on the cake....
Tekiah!
Posted by Kar-Ben Team on 9/3/2021 to
On Rosh Hashanah, it is a mitzvah to hear the blowing of the shofar. To fulfill the mitzvah, one must truly hear the shofar. An echo doesn’t count, and neither does a recording. It is a climactic moment in the cycle of the Jewish year.
But what if you weren’t allowed to hear the shofar blown on Rosh Hashanah?
Something New for Rosh Hashanah: Be Like the Moon
Posted by Anna Burnstein Gilette on 8/23/2021 to
High Holidays
Before there was a set calendar for the Jewish year, the beginning of a new month would be declared by the Jewish court when the new moon emerged in the sky. To let the people know, fires would be set on hilltops.
Today, as in ancient times, the moon’s journey around the earth takes approximately 29 days. The lunar cycle, however, doesn’t start when the moon is full. The new moon that marks the beginning of the month is invisible to the human eye, filling out mid-cycle before fading away again....
Behind the Scenes: Rosh Hashanah with Uncle Max
Posted by Kar-Ben Team on 8/16/2021 to
Meet Varda Livney, Author and Illustrator of Rosh Hashanah with Uncle Max On Rosh Hashanah, Uncle Max dips his glasses in honey to make the whole world look sweet. Celebrating the Jewish New Year is so much more fun when he comes to
Don’t Be a Fool, Read About Chelm
Posted by Anna Burnstein Gilette on 8/9/2021 to
A wise person knows that knowledge of the universe is vast, and that he understands only a tiny sliver of it. A foolish person believes he understands the world in its entirety. The greatest fool is so clever that he outsmarts himself, unknowingly stumbling upon gems of wisdom in the process....