It sounds like a classic nightmare. I wake up late and rush to class, only to find that we have an exam for which I had totally forgotten to study. With sweat running down my neck, in a state of sheer panic, I look down at the sheet of paper...
This week’s Torah portion, Ki Teitzei, contains quite a few seemingly random, disconnected commandments. One especially striking commandment found in this week’s portion is: If you happen to come upon a bird’s nest along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the...
Picture the scene: The Israelites have been wandering for 40 years in the desert and are finally on the banks of the Jordan river just mere miles from the Holy Land. Moses, knowing that his time as their leader is coming to end, offers one final speech to his people....
Have you ever seen the hashtag #firstworldproblems? A simple google search brings up some great ones like: The struggle of finding storage for 20 bottles of champagne #firstworldproblems I got really tan this weekend and now my concealer is too light!!! My dog won’t eat that chip I dropped, so...
Have you ever gotten one of those emails that said something like, “A Nigerian prince wants to send you $10,000 dollars; just send your bank account information and social security number…” About 6 weeks ago, we got a call to the office here at RS that Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah...
More than 1 in 8 Americans struggles with hunger; and many in our own neighborhood. I recently heard a story from Principal Laureal Robinson at Spring Garden Elementary about a student who was putting some of her free school breakfasts and lunches in her backpack to take home because her...
It was a few days before our Berman Mercaz Limud model seder. As I was heading home for the day, I said to Rabbi Maderer in passing, “I’m off to boil six dozen eggs or so.” She looked at me incredulously, “Why exactly are you boiling all those eggs?” I...
I’m sick and tired of all this sin and repentance stuff! I know, it’s only Erev Rosh Hashanah, we haven’t even gotten to Yom Kippur yet. But every year, it’s the same thing: Al chet shechatanu lifanecha… For the sins I committed against you… Ashamnu, bagadnu, gazalnu… We betray, we...
Help us Celebrate Philadelphia’s 23rd Annual Children’s Sabbath on Sunday, October 16 @ 3pm at Rodeph Shalom In Rab’s day, there was a teacher whose prayer for the rain was answered promptly. When asked to tell of his special merit, he said, I teach children of the poor as well...
Picture the scene: Thousands of African-Americans marching in the South for civil rights. Marching arm in arm, their voices raised in songs of protest. There are some white allies in the group as well. Even some Jews and some rabbis. They are carrying a Torah scroll, a symbol of the...