The Blessings and Curses of Instant Communication

Our constant access to the world through our new technologies has its costs. You know your life is different today than it was only a few years ago: 1) if you have a list of 20 phone numbers to reach five people; 2) if you struggle to stay in touch with any family members who do not have an email address; 3) if you use your phone to call your family to dinner and the text comes back, “what’s for dinner?” 4) if your feeling of accomplishment is measured in emails deleted; 5) if you are waiting in line at the grocery store and are impatient because you left your smartphone in the car; 6) if you wake up at 2am to go to the bathroom and check your E-mail on your way back to bed.

Written by on 24th September 2013

Reflections on the 40th Anniversary of the YK War

40 years ago today on the Hebrew Calendar, on the 10th of Tishrei, saw the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War instigated against Israel by Syria and Egypt. This was an event that certainly defined an era for Jews everywhere. Do you remember where you were when you heard that the war had broken out? I know exactly where I was. I was in utero. 40 years ago today, I was 55 days from being born. And the Jewish world that I was born into was a different world because of that war. Confidence was lost. The world was turned upside down again and Israel was forced to look at things in a different way.

Written by on 24th September 2013

Rabbi Aaron Weininger

The Prayer of Your Heart

The ancient wisdom of the Talmud teaches, rachmana liba bai, “God desires what’s inside the heart.” The name of our new mahzor, Lev Shalem, means a full heart. It suggests both the power and irony of the High Holy Day prayerbook. God’s name fills the pages, but the holidays are not really about the words between our hands. They are about the words of the heart, the relationships face-to-face that form and tear and need mending. The formal text can only take us so far.

Written by on 24th September 2013

Yom Kippur War, What is it Good for?

This terrible war convinced the Arab world that they could not defeat Israel by conventional means. This, of course, led to the many waves of terror attacks that Israel essentially put an end to in 2004, thank God. But now, our biggest threat, more than Iran, more than Syria, more than internal strife, more than inequality and chauvinism and Jewish extremism, is the global delegitimization campaign against Israel—we’ve shifted back to the question of Israel’s legitimacy.

Written by on 24th September 2013

Beth El and Disney together for one day

Countless studies have shown that engaging and fun childhood education experiences yield enriched and productive teenage and adult lives. That’s one reason why preschools tend to make every effort to prevent turning children away because of financial difficulty. In light of this, the leadership of Beth El Synagogue and the Aleph Preschool has found a creative and fun new initiative to augment the upwards of $50,000 they already allocate yearly in financial aid.

Written by on 12th September 2013

Travel To Israel With Temple Israel

Temple Israel wants all of our young members to have the opportunity to travel to Israel and explore its rich culture and history. That is why we are partnering with Kesher Birthright to offer a FREE Birthright trip of Minnesotans 22-26 over winter break! We invite you to come and get to know Israel; learn about the ancient history in Jerusalem, understand the founding of the modern State and see the world class city that has emerged in Tel Aviv, float on the Dead Sea, reflect in the desert, and understand the commitment of our people that has made the desert bloom.

Written by on 1st September 2013

Music and Activities For Your Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is fast approaching this year, but it is not too late to start creating fun memories with your kids as you prepare for the New Year. Ask all of your friends what they remember about their family traditions for Rosh Hashanah and everyone has apples dipped in honey on their memory list. The apples are just starting to show up at the Farmers Markets, so grab the family, load up on some apples and try out some of these activities and recipes to put you in the holiday mood. Add some music to the mix and the memories will last a lifetime.

Written by on 29th August 2013

6 Steps To A Popular Jewish Blog (Lazy Edition)

We saw this post on Pop Chassid, another great Jewish blog, and we just had to re-post it here. He laid out his six most important tips for creating a successful Jewish blog, and well, we’ll let you judge them for yourself.

Written by on 27th August 2013