Who is Naim Obeid, Whom We Welcomed Last Week? Originally published November 23-24, 2018
Last week we welcomed a visit from Naim Obeid, Executive Director of the Akko Center for Arts and Technology in Israel (A-CAT), who visited on Shabbat. The Akko Center has Pittsburgh roots! Mark Frank, Pittsburgher, founded the Akko Center based on the model of Pittsburgher William E. Strickland, Jr., in the Manchester Bildwell Corporation. Flourishing […]
Why are There Four Aliyot on Rosh Hodesh? Originally Published on November 16-17, 2018.
Even on days when we do not usually read Torah at morning services, if it is Rosh Hodesh, the beginning of the new month (on the Jewish calendar), we read Bamidbar (Numbers) 28:1-15. Let’s start from the beginning. We read Torah in the morning on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, all from the same parashah (portion) […]
What Happened to Minhah? Originally published November 9-10, 2018.
One night last week you attended services at 7:00 at Beth Shalom, and there was no detectable Minhah service? So is it still an official yahrzeit observance for your departed loved one? During the darker months, when the sun sets earlier, since we begin all our weekday evening services at 7:00, it is too late […]
What Are the Apocrypha? Originally published October 26-27, 2018.
We seem to mention the Apocrypha fairly often. The answer to what they are is not simple. From the Greek (meaning “obscure”) through Medieval Latin (where it meant “secret, or non-canonical”), the word refers to a set or sets of texts the origin of which is doubtful or unknown. (“Canonical” refers to being ordained by […]