The Power of Torah

InspirationParsha

May 16

Non-Jews respect Jews who respect Judaism, and they are embarrassed by Jews who are embarrassed by Judaism.“ — Rabbi Sacks.

Dan Senor in his State of Jewry addressed what Jews ought to be doing in the wake of the rise of antisemitism that we've experienced since October 7, 2023. And it is...

LIVE JEWISH!

He encouraged Jewish day school, Jewish summer camp, Adult Education and more.

Lag Ba'omer, today Friday May 16, 18 of Iyar, celebrates Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Rashbi) the great teacher of Kabbalah and the light the Torah brings to the world.

The story is told, that once the Jews were in need of rain, Rashbi delivered a sermon on the passage of Hinei Mah Tov (how beautiful is it when we are together in harmony) and the rain came pouring down.

This wasn’t a magic trick, this was a revelation of the essence of existence. The presence of the Divine in our world is there right in front of us, albeit concealed, hiding in plain sight.

When we embrace this and recognize the truth of the Torah we can reconcile that living Jewish is the key to rising above the hatred around us and demonstrating to those around us that we are connected to something higher.

Haters are going to hate, but we can allow the outside pressure to help us rise to our true potential as Jews, People of the Book and Hashem’s Chosen Nation.

Please join us on June 1 as we celebrate the Torah with a Siyum, Dinner, Ted Talks and Torah Discussion.

Shabbat Shalom!

Featured

Life is But a Parable

In this week's Torah portion, hired by Balaak the king of Moab, the prophet Bilaam attempts to curse the Jews. In a series of shaming and even comedic (talking donkey - think Shrek) Balaam is forced to bless the Jews with a series of blessings that are of the greatest the Jewish People have ever received.

Oy, The Stories We Tell Ourselves

It’s a box that I moved into long before I had basic self-awareness. The box is the lenses through which I look at the world. It’s how I show up for good or for ugly. It’s how I perceive others and judge (sometimes even being judgmental – shocker) what I experience.

Geon Yaakov!

I'm getting it, more and more. And as I get it, I develop much more compassion towards others, more accepting of their limitations and how that bumps up against me and my jagged edges but also inner strength.

When Life Gives you Lemons…Find a Chabad House

Let me begin at the end. I have always admired Chabad. Their passion and commitment to every Jew, no matter their level of observance, is one of the most beautiful aspects of this unique and outstanding movement. I have had so many great experiences interacting with different leaders of Chabad that perhaps naively, I thought I knew everything there was to know about Chabad… That was until this past Shabbat.

Living Large - Materially and Spiritually

There is much discussed in the good books about the role we play in our own destiny. Are some people doomed to remain farkvetched (squeezed) while others fortunate to live in abundance? And do we have the ability to change that? I'm going to leave the theological question for others.

Rose Colored Glasses

Have you ever gone through a challenging time in your life (who hasn’t!?) I have. A common refrain I hear—whether in my own head or in someone else's voice—is that someone else has it a lot worse than you.

It reminded me of the saying in Hayom Yom: in material matters, look toward those who have less than you; and in spiritual matters, look toward those who are on a higher spiritual plane.

The Holiday of Good Posture

In contrast to their image of the downtrodden Eastern European Jew, the Zionist fathers wanted to train the young in good posture to demonstrate the Zionistic Pride.

Today, this rejection of the Old Jew and embrace of the New Jew takes on a different form. It revolves around pride in the ingenuity of Israeli's, their role in High Tech, their dedication to helping in crises around the world, being the most moral army, and of course pride in the IDF.

A Hard Torah Portion

Are you bemoaning your circumstances? Are you finding the good in it?

What are your discussions about these days? Israel. Anti Semitism. Are you finding other things to talk about? Are you finding the silver lining?

The Power of Torah

Non-Jews respect Jews who respect Judaism, and they are embarrassed by Jews who are embarrassed by Judaism.“ — Rabbi Sacks.

Dan Senor in his State of Jewry addressed what Jews ought to be doing in the wake of the rise of antisemitism that we've experienced since October 7, 2023. And it is...

LIVE JEWISH!

Might As Well Do It

Why do they hate us so? Many reasons have been given, but after all the discussions, it boils down to the fact that we are G-d's People and they just have a hard time with that. Own it friend!

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman

The Power of Torah

Light Shabbat Candles in Atlanta at 8:32 pm

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Light Shabbat Candles in Atlanta at 8:32 pm -

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