Leor Sinai

Living a Jewish life means living within a particular framework of rituals and experience, values and memories (i.e. we were slaves in Egypt) and guidelines (Jewish Law).  Passover, a microcosm of Jewish life, requires a set of guidelines in preparation of the festival including the cleaning of “Hametz”, dietary constraints and of course the ‘Seder’ accompanied by the ‘Haggadah’. Within this

לחיות חיים יהודים זה לחיות בתוך מסגרת מסוימת של טקסים, ניסיון, ערכים, זיכרונות (כ"עבדים היינו במצרים") והנחיות (דרך החיים או הלכה). פסח, מיקרוקוסמוס של חיים יהודיים, המחייב סדרה של הנחיות לקראת החג שכולל ניקוי חמץ, הגבלות תזונתיות וכמובן את ה'סדר' שמלווה על ידי ההגדה. בתוך מסגרת זו אנחנו מספרים סיפורים, שרים שירים, מברכים, ומזכירים את אבותינו ואמותינו כנושא המרכזי בפסח כי – עבדים היינו. עבדות

"הוא (הלל) היה אומר, אם אין אני לי, מי לי; וכשאני לעצמי, מה אני; ואם לא עכשיו, אימתיי?" אם אתם מסכימים שהגיע הזמן לתקן את עצמנו - שתפו עם אחרים! תיקון ישראל. מדי פעם אנו מתעסקים באיזושהי רמה של תיקון. זה קרה עם משה רבנו אשר הוביל את בני ישראל מעבדות לחרות, ולאחר אלפי שנים דרך תשובתו של הרצל בשאלת היהודים (הציונות המודרנית), ומה קורה עכשיו – ממש ברגע זה? רבים מאתנו כבר עוסקים בתיקון, אך לא

In 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream that “…this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: …that all men are created equal.” Dr. King’s dream extended beyond healing African-American suffering; his vision included “…all men…” society as a whole. Seventy years earlier, in 1895, Theodor Herzl shared his vision for Jewish emancipation when he stated that “…the

Why does Gd repeat Gd's status visa vie Moses and the Children of Israel in Exodus 6:2?: "And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: 'I am the LORD..." ויְדַבֵּר אֱלֹקִים, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה; וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, אֲנִי יְדוָד. After all didn't Gd just reveal Gd's self at the burning bush a couple chapters earlier (3:2)? Why the need to repeat that which is presumably known? I think it is about

I was recently asked at a talk that I gave why I emphasize the need for Tikun Israel to precede Tikun Olam. Here is part of my answer to the question: "Rav Salantar taught - first one fixes his house, then his community, then the world, and so on... I am extremely proud of the work Jewish organizations and movements have committed towards healing the world - Tikun Olam. I'm proud of the

The world as it should be? Now how you gonna do that? Last week's Torah portion describes Jacob's dream (you know, the one with the ladder): "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of Gd ascending and descending on it. And...the LORD...said: ...The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And

As yesterday's bus bombing in Tel Aviv unfolded, I was asked by a friend who works for Sky News to provide an eyewitness account of the events as they took place. I was then asked to take part in a live debate. The debate included 2 Israelis & 2 Palestinians (living in Gaza). It was interesting, not as lively as I had wanted it to be, but I think we all made our points somewhat clear.  At the

"רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם, אֶת-הַחַיִּים וְאֶת-הַטּוֹב, וְאֶת-הַמָּוֶת, וְאֶת-הָרָע." (דברים ל:טו) - הרמב"ם בהלכות תשובה פרק ה' הלכה א' מסביר: "הרשות לכל אדם נתונה אם רצה להטות עצמו לדרך טובה ולהיות צדיק הרשות בידו, ואם רצה להטות עצמו לדרך רעה ולהיות רשע הרשות בידו." בראש השנה עלינו להחליט לאיזה כיוון אנו הולכים? נכון שאנחנו מבקשים סליחות, מתפללים ומקווים שנכתב בספר החיים, אך

"ואהבת לרעך כמוך" הוא פסוק בתורה, מצווה ומושג יסוד, לדעת חכמי ישראל לדורותיהם. משמעותו היא שהאדם צריך לאהוב את הזולת כשם שהוא אוהב את עצמו. מכלל זה נגזרים דרכי התנהגויות רבות, שבגללן חכמי המשנה התייחסו אליו כאל כלל מרכזי וחשוב בכל התורה. זה הזמן בחודש אלול לקראת ימי ראש השנה ויום כיפור שעלינו להתייחס אחד אל השני כמשפחה, כבני אדם.

Rabbi condemns Ahmadinejad's Israel 'cancer' remark When the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad compares Israel to a cancer, I take it personally. On Monday, you see, I traveled to Israel to co-officiate at a wedding. And I have cancer. I’ve been in remission from lymphoma for several years and I visit Israel on average once or twice a year. So, as someone who claims a perverse expertise,

There's a lot riding on this month of Elul as we journey to the Days of Awe; a period of healing, time to reflect on our lives and our relationships - with the expectation that we can return to a clean slate. In Maimonides' "The Laws of Repentance" (הלכות תשובה) he explains "The principle of freedom of choice is a basic concept and a pillar on which the entire Torah & mitzvot rest, as it is

It is true that many of us were not alive to witness the birth of the modern State of Israel or any of the existential challenges the state and her people faced for that matter  - but does that mean we can't relate to those challenges, find pride in her accomplishments and stand upon the shoulders of those who came before us? It is in fact the memories of our people, from time immemorial, that

Not quite. It turns out that many Jews regardless of their citizenship identify with the People of Israel/Jewish Peoplehood. For some the relationship is prompted by threats against Jews and the state of Israel generating a tremendous amount of talk-back and interest. The recent attack on Israeli tourists in Burgas, Bulgaria, the rise of anti-Semitism and terror attacks on Jews in France, the

I'm afraid so. Are we the People/Nation of Israel or the Jewish People? This could explain some of the disconnect we witness taking place among Jews (People of Israel) around the world. If Judaism's ancestry is the tribe of Judah, and Judah was the son of Israel (Jacob), then aren't we all Israelis? The term Israel is not limited to the land or nation-state or the people who are its modern day

Exodus describes the Israelites as a “stiff necked people”; I prefer a “Resilient People”. Resilience is an individual's tendency to cope with stress and adversity. This coping may result in the individual “bouncing back” to a previous state of normal functioning, or using the experience of exposure to adversity to function better than expected. Resilience is most commonly understood as a process

Yitro, (Jethro, Moses' father-in-law), a priest of Median "…heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel…" freeing them from slavery and guiding them through the Sinai wilderness (Ex. 18:1). This notion of hearing/knowing all that God has done is magnified here in Israel throughout the Jewish calendar. Since making Aliyah this past summer our experience observing the Sabbaths and holy

Jacob was to be known as Isra-el."...כי שרית עם אלוקים ועם אנשים, ותוכל..." (בראשית לב:כט) - 'Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast struggled with God and with humanity, and hast prevailed.' (Genesis 32:29). Isra-el struggles with God and with humanity. We, the People of Isra-el, maintain that struggle/interaction from time immemorial. Our collective narrative is

בשבת הקרוב, שבת שירה - אנו מוצאים חיזוק והשראה דרך שתי דמויות מרכזיות: מרים הנביאה ודבורה הנביאה ושופטת. כשחוצים בני ישראל את ים סוף, חוצים את קו העבדות לחירות. זה בעצם תחילת התפתחות בני ישראל --> לעם ישראל, "וַתִּקַּח מִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה אֲחוֹת אַהֲרֹן, אֶת-הַתֹּף--בְּיָדָהּ; וַתֵּצֶאןָ כָל-הַנָּשִׁים אַחֲרֶיהָ, בְּתֻפִּים וּבִמְחֹלֹת. כא וַתַּעַן לָהֶם, מִרְיָם: שִׁירוּ לַה'..." (שמות טו:כ-כא).

This Shabbat, Shabbat Shira, we find strength and hope in two strong women: the Prophetess Miriam (sister of Moses and Aharon) and the Prophetess AND Judge Deborah. In the former, upon crossing the Sea of Reeds, "Miriam...took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam sang unto them: Sing ye to the LORD..." (Exodus 15:20-21). In the

By Gabrielle Birkner Ayelet Galena “With unstoppable tears and broken hearts we regret to announce that last night around 5AM, after hours of fighting and holding on, our precious Ayelet - the heart of our world, the light and strength for so many, could not fight any more.” With those words, Seth and Hindy Poupko Galena announced the January 31 death of their 2-year-old daughter, Ayelet Yakira

In 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamt that “…this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: …that all men are created equal." Dr. King’s dream extended beyond healing African-American suffering; his vision was meant to impact and heal society as a whole. In 1895 Theodor Herzl shared a similar vision for Jewish emancipation when he stated that “the world will be liberated

This past June we made Aliyah. In less than two months we’ve been thrown into the complex reality that is life in Israel. We’ve mastered the rough seas of bureaucratic processes and citizenship requirements; we’ve found a wonderful neighborhood to live in, schools for our children, employment, and inspiration in the Cottage Cheese Revolution’s transformation to a call for Tzedek Hevrati - Social

Imagine this: Jews worldwide put differences aside and embark on a global campaign focusing on the Jewish Homeland, Israel. Is it possible? Yes. Is it necessary? Absolutely. This upcoming Shabbat Shekalim is the first of four distinctive Shabbatot leading to Passover. Its text provides us with a very practical approach to fundraising: equal opportunity investment. Moreover its context, the

Having the opportunity to serve as a m'sader kiddushin (a wedding officiant), a sanctifying facilitator, is priceless. The following link: http://vimeo.com/19879729 - is a beautiful reflection of one couple I was fortunate enough to guide on their journey towards unity... Mazel Tov!