Prayer
Who Goes to Shul?
After World War II, new synagogues opened all over the United States. Jews had started to move to suburbia and away from New York. Wherever they went, they established shuls... Read More »
Annie Get Your Gun… and Your Havdalah Candle
Your local Jewish Community Center is likely somewhat of a melting pot of the Jewish community spectrum in your area and, if it offers the right services, even the non-Jewish... Read More »
No Shul for Me
Erev Yom Kippur is meant to be a day that culminates the spiritual preparations of the past 8 days – one where we really psych ourselves up for the fast... Read More »
The Other Leather Bondage
I, once again, feel I may be going into territory not as family friendly as this site is intended. If your sensibilities are easily offended (or if you think I... Read More »
Davening Man Removed from Plane
On Wednesday night, an Orthodox man boarded a United Airlines flight from JFK to San Francisco. Before the flight took off, he went to the back of plane to daven,... Read More »
The New Month of Adar
The new month of Adar has just begun and we are reminded by the rabbis that this is a time for rejoicing. As we prepare to celebrate this special time... Read More »
Deep Thinking: Where is G-D?
Do you ever wonder why we need a Synagogue or a Temple to serve G-d? I mean, He’s everywhere, why focus our service of Him on a building? Sometimes I... Read More »
Sing-a-long with Bob Dylan and other Reform Prayer Services
A couple of weeks ago, my elderly parents (both in their upper eighties) went to their Reform temple (they do not call it a synagogue) for Friday evening services. My... Read More »
Broader Judaism in Preparation for Martin Luther King Day II
Rabbi Capers Funnye leads his congregation at Beth Shalom Bnai Zaken in Chicago, Il, where his synagogue has been in existence since 1918. Except for a few members, almost all... Read More »
In a Den of Thieves, Looking for Answers
As the final hours before the opening of the “holiest day of the year” are upon us, I wonder the same thing I always do. Who the hell do any... Read More »
Mikvah Tactics for the Nervous Bather
I have noticed in the last few years that more and more people seem to be going to the mikvah on the days before Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. While... Read More »
Kinos Teshuva
The time between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (this week) is a time of intense prayer (tefilla) and repentance (teshuva) Read More »
The Many Sounds of the Shofar
As I was standing in shul one Elul morning, I heard the powerful sounds of a shofar blown with considerable demonstration of skill and not a little flair. Next to... Read More »
