Rosh Ha-Shanah: the Jewish ‘New Year’; it sounds so simple and straightforward. But if you are considering comparisons with January 1st – think again: To begin with, Rosh Ha-Shanah falls on the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish year, the Hebrew month of Tishri. The New Year for months begins in the […]
What are we doing when we read the Torah? Do we regard it as a resource for our own lives today, and engage with the texts as part of our own personal search for meaning and purpose? Or: Are we, like the generations who went before us, rehearsing an ancient rite as we read and […]
The origins of the Counting of the Omer lie in ancient Israel, when the period of seven weeks between the spring festival of Pesach and the early summer harvest festival of Shavuot, was one of great anxiety because of the uncertainties of nature. In Talmudic times, the rabbis designated these weeks as a period of […]
1564 scrolls belonging to hundreds of Jewish communities that were destroyed by the Nazis were retrieved in the 1960s from a disused synagogue in Prague. These scrolls were taken to Westminster synagogue in London, where they were restored. The scrolls that were beyond repair were kept to form part of a new museum, based at […]
Pesach begins on Monday evening – weather permitting, in the light of the full moon of Nissan, the first month of the Jewish year; on the 15th day of the month. Pesach, meaning ‘Passover’, recalls the Exodus of our ancestors from slavery in Egypt and the killing and roasting of a lamb, the symbol of […]
The Torah narrates that when Noah sent out a dove from the Ark in search of dry land, she returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf in her mouth (Genesis 8:10-11). Since that time, the olive tree has been a symbol of hope and peace. Sadly, in recent years, the destruction of Palestinian olive trees […]
Marriage is an historical institution that has changed over time. In addition, the meaning and the content of ‘marriage’ varies according to its particular religious, cultural, ethnic, geographical, economic and political settings. The evidence from the Hebrew Bible suggests that Jewish marriage began in the form of the acquisition of a young virgin by a […]
As Shabbat goes out on Saturday night, Jews around the world will begin to celebrate the eight-day festival of Chanukkah, which commemorates the triumph of the Jewish spirit over the forces of persecution and tyranny in the year 164 BCE. On the second day of the festival, on December 10th it will be UN Human […]
THE HOUR OF SUNLIGHT : ONE PALESTINIAN’S JOURNEY FROM PRISONER TO PEACEMAKER Review by Marguerite Wright of event held on December 1st 2012 On Saturday 1st December Brighton and HoveProgressive Synagogue hosted a talk about the newly appointed prize-winning book « The Hour of Sunlight » by Palestinian author Sami al Jundi and his American Jewish co-author Jen Marlowe. […]
On December 1st we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon on The Hour of Sunlight: One Palestinian’s Journey from Prisoner to Peacemaker with Jen Marlow – and Sami al Jundi contributing via Skype. Very inspiring to hear Sami’s story, and to learn about his collaboration with Jen and of the excellent work they have both been doing […]