בסיעתא דשמיא

Mikveh Meditation for Erev Shabbat by Rabbi Haviva Ner-David and Shira Gura

Image: Shmaya Mikveh in Ḥanaton by Rabbi Haviva Ner-David (License: CC-BY-SA 3.0 Unported)

Image: Shmaya Mikveh in Ḥanaton by Aharon Varady (License: CC-BY-SA 3.0 Unported)

The following is a meditation I wrote (with the help of my friend Shira Gura, who teaches meditation and Yoga) to be used on Friday before Shabbat at the mikveh. It is based on midrashim related to Shabbat (for example, the . . . → Read More: Mikveh Meditation for Erev Shabbat by Rabbi Haviva Ner-David and Shira Gura

אשת חיל | An adaptation of Eyshet Ḥayil by Alex and Peri Sinclair

A woman of valour who can find?
For her price is far above rubies.

The heart of her husband does safely trust in her,
And he has no lack of gain.

She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

My beloved is mine, and I am his,
That feeds among the lilies. . . . → Read More: אשת חיל | An adaptation of Eyshet Ḥayil by Alex and Peri Sinclair

תנ״ך | Yehoyesh’s Yiddish Translation of the Tanakh

Yehoyesh Blumgarten (1870-1927)

The Open Siddur Project is pleased to distribute a masterful Yiddish translation of the Tanakh by “Yehoyesh” (Yehoash) Shloyme Blumgarten (1870-1927) as published in Torah, Neviʼim, u-Khetuvim (New York: Yehoʼash Farlag Gezelshaft, 1941) that now resides in the Public Domain. . . . → Read More: תנ״ך | Yehoyesh’s Yiddish Translation of the Tanakh

In Search of Seraḥ: A Prayer to Seraḥ by Chaya Kaplan-Lester

Image: Jewish cemetery in Linjan, Esfahan Province, Iran, the location of Seraḥ's tomb. Attribution: Farhad24 (Public Domain)

[In Parshat Vayigash] we read of the members of Jacob’s family who went down to Egypt. There were 53 grandsons listed, but only a single granddaughter – Seraḥ, the daughter of Asher. The commentators wonder, what was so exceptional about this girl that her name was recorded? The Midrash spills forth with stories portraying an image of a unique and endearing Biblical heroine. Seraḥ stands as a trusted, beloved sage of the people. She possessed an uncommon gift of healing through poetry and music. Somewhat as Orpheus is to Greek myth, so is Seraḥ to the Biblical myth – the archetypal poet and bard. . . . → Read More: In Search of Seraḥ: A Prayer to Seraḥ by Chaya Kaplan-Lester

A Prayer for Candle-lighting by Chaya Kaplan-Lester

Image: "Candlelight" by apdk (License: CC-BY 2.0)

Please God Let me light More than flame tonight. More than wax and wick and sliver stick of wood. More than shallow stream of words recited from a pocket book. . . . → Read More: A Prayer for Candle-lighting by Chaya Kaplan-Lester

A Kavanah for Waking Up by Andrew Shaw

Image: Good Morning Sunrise by Ha-Wee (License: CC-BY 2.0)

An original liturgical poem inspired by the Modah|Modeh Ani prayer. . . . → Read More: A Kavanah for Waking Up by Andrew Shaw

מודה אני | Modah/Modeh Ani (translation by Andrew Shaw)

Image: Good Morning by khawkins04 (License: CC-BY 2.0)

Thankful am I in your Presence, Spirit who lives and endures, for You’ve returned to me my soul with compassion. Abundant is your faith! . . . → Read More: מודה אני | Modah/Modeh Ani (translation by Andrew Shaw)

Nomi and Aharon’s Ḥanukah Madrikh!

Ḥanukah on Ice by Foxtongue (CC-BY)

Nomi Lerman and I were co-teacher’s this past season at Kolot Ḥayeinu’s religious school in Park Slope Brooklyn this past season, and as a Ḥanukah present we made a Ḥanukah Madrikh for our Kittah Gimmel class. I’m certain there are Jewish educators all over the world preparing curricular resources for Ḥanukah right about now and hope that by sharing this they can take it and improve on it, or else we’ll save them some energy so they’ll be able to do even more mitzvot. . . . → Read More: Nomi and Aharon’s Ḥanukah Madrikh!

On Using Siddurim — a sourcesheet with suggestions by R’ Mordechai Torczyner

Some rabbinic sourcetexts related to the topic of how to write in your siddur, shared with translations by Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner. . . . → Read More: On Using Siddurim — a sourcesheet with suggestions by R’ Mordechai Torczyner

Life Sentence by Eprhyme

‘Life Sentence’ is a poetic exploration of solitary authorship — interpreting the old-world literary tradition and archetypes for the ‘ADD’ generation. This is a boundary and genre-crossing work that exists at the intersection of Radical Jewish, Indy and Hip-Hop culture. . . . → Read More: Life Sentence by Eprhyme

A Pushka-appeal

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