Tag: #traditions

April 25, 2018   10 Iyar, 5778

TONIGHT IS TWENTY-SIX DAYS, WHICH IS THREE WEEKS AND FIVE DAYS, OF THE OMER

Being Jewish means following irresistible traditions that I cannot always explain.

Anonymous

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April 22, 2018   7 Iyar, 5778

TONIGHT IS TWENTY-THREE DAYS, WHICH IS THREE WEEKS AND TWO DAYS, OF THE OMER

Studying and learning the rich history and traditions of Judaism – and applying the moral values and relevant practices into my modern-day life.

Irene M.

April 19, 2018   4 Iyar, 5778

TONIGHT IS TWENTY DAYS, WHICH IS TWO WEEKS AND SIX DAYS, OF THE OMER

“Community” is the first word that comes to my mind when asked “What does it mean to be Jewish?”

I love being Jewish. It means that I am never alone because I belong to a global community of people that will always welcome each other. I always feel comfortable and accepted among my Temple congregants at TBA.

I trust being Jewish. It is filled with traditions and rituals that I can depend on, but have the freedom to participate to whatever extent meets my spiritual needs. I enjoy passing on traditions and adding new ones with my own family in hopes they will be carried on for many generations.

I am proud to be Jewish. Being Jewish is a journey filled with challenges to try to live a righteous life and to make the world a better place. Being Jewish makes me mindful about my life and makes me a better person. Being Jewish fills my being and my spirit with joy and allows me to be at peace with myself and the world around me.

Mary Edleson

April 18, 2018   3 Iyar, 5778

TONIGHT IS NINETEEN DAYS, WHICH IS TWO WEEKS AND FIVE DAYS, OF THE OMER

Being Jewish means we are part of a rich, colorful and proud ancestry steeped in history & tradition. It means that we also have a responsibility to pass along those meaningful traditions to future generations. That sentiment is especially relevant during this Passover holiday .

Steve & Geri Borkan

April 16, 2018  1 Iyar, 5778

TONIGHT IS SEVENTEEN DAYS, WHICH IS TWO WEEKS AND THREE DAYS, OF THE OMER

Being Jewish means so many things to me that is impossible to capture it in 150 words or less so I am going to focus on one thing it means to me, COMMUNITY. Being a Jewish woman brings me the comfort of belonging to a community that has traditions and beliefs that have guided me and my community for thousands of years. For example, when I light Shabbat candles on Friday night, I treasure being part of a community of people that connects me to generations of women in my family going back hundreds of years. I also love that it connects me to a community of Jews around the world who are also observing Shabbat. Another example of how I feel part of a community is that following the commandment of “welcoming the stranger” and working with God to create a more just, caring and compassionate world helps me join in and create communities wherever I am. Whether I am visiting a new synagogue or Jewish organization and feel the warm welcome and embrace of other Jews or joining in or with Jewish groups who are fighting for Social Justice I instantly feel part of a community. Being Jewish means I can always find community, a home, here in New York, across the country, the world and of course in Israel.

Olga

April 13, 2018  28 Nisan, 5778

TONIGHT IS FOURTEEN DAYS, WHICH IS TWO WEEKS, OF THE OMER

My response when people ask me what kind of Jew I am is, “I’m a mutt!” While I worked in a (mostly) Reform (but also Conservative) congregation, I sent my kids to Solomon Schechter day school, a hallmark of the Conservative movement. Growing up, I went to an Orthodox day school and attended a Reconstructionist synagogue on the Upper West Side. A large dose of Reform, a healthy heaping of Orthodox, a few cups of Conservative and a dash of Reconstructionist – you can see why “mutt” seems like the right answer.

At the end of the day, I don’t believe my denomination of Judaism matters. As an adult, my idea of being Jewish is to pull from all of these traditions in order to make a Judaism that is personal, relevant, and meaningful to my family and me. This often entails creating my own version of things.

Judaism is not just about following the rules in an old set of books. It is about helping us answer the most fundamental questions about our lives, and we are entitled to draw on every part of our rich tradition to do so.

Pamela Barkley

April 14, 2018  29 Nisan, 5778

TONIGHT IS FIFTEEN DAYS, WHICH IS TWO WEEKS AND ONE DAY, OF THE OMER

*We are posting this response today, so you do not have to use your computer/phone on Shabbat.

It offers a sense of belonging.  To be part of a group of people with very much in common.

NEIL B.

April 11, 2018  26 Nisan, 5778

TONIGHT IS TWELVE DAYS, WHICH IS ONE WEEK AND FIVE DAYS, OF THE OMER

Being Jewish means lighting Shabbat candles in a hotel room, on a train, once using two red Crayolas at a Friendly’s on a road trip with the kids, as stand-ins for candles.

It means my daughter calling me every Friday night for the last 12 years, no matter where she is, even from Cuba, to wish me Shabbat Shalom.

It means building a Sukkah with my dad and having my whole family pile in for pizza.

It means my husband and I cancelling a trip abroad when we belatedly realized it would fall during Rosh Hashanah.

Being Jewish and part of this community means friends, family, and neighbors walking me around the block on the last day of shiva after my mom’s death to end the period of mourning, and right into Shabbat dinner to begin life again.

Sharon DeLevie

April 9, 2018  24 Nisan, 5778

TONIGHT IS TEN DAYS, WHICH IS ONE WEEK AND THREE DAYS, OF THE OMER

The essence of being Jewish for me centers on the celebration of Shabbat. Shabbat enables me to take a step back from everyday life, and to pause, recharge and reconnect to the divine. The ritual of observing Shabbat at Temple Beth Abraham is especially comforting, where the supportive atmosphere fostered by Rabbi David and Cantor Margot allows me to turn my gaze inward and then upward, to meditate on the lessons of the Torah, and to draw closer to Adonai.

S.A. Cember

April 6, 2018  21 Nisan, 5778

TODAY IS SEVEN DAYS, WHICH IS ONE WEEK, OF THE OMER

Being Jewish for me is about blessings—not only for milestones but during each and every day. We are blessed to connect to those we love, and to people we have yet to befriend. We are blessed to find identity and purpose and to be able to rally resources to meet challenges. We are blessed to learn.   We are certainly blessed to be part of a rich tradition and to be able to expand upon that tradition to make it meaningful.

I recognize the blessings of celebration: the seasonal cycle of holidays and the weekly joy of Shabbat. And I marvel at raising our family in a community that feels like family: Temple Beth Abraham, a huge blessing in our lives.

Jennifer Povman

April 7, 2018  22 Nisan, 5778

TODAY IS EIGHT DAYS, WHICH IS ONE WEEK AND ONE DAY, OF THE OMER

*We are posting this response today, so you do not have to use your computer/phone on Shabbat.

It’s hard to put into words exactly what being Jewish means to me. It’s a feeling I can’t quite describe. I will say it means being part of a family and community. It means carrying on traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. It means friendship and love. It means holidays – and food. It means being able to share with my children something that is so special and important to me. And it makes me proud.

Andrea W.

April 4, 2018  19 Nisan, 5778

TODAY IS FIVE DAYS OF THE OMER