August 1, 2017 By: Sondra Baras Today is the 9th of Av, the day according to the Hebrew calendar that commemorates the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem: Solomon’s Temple and Herod’s Temple (which was a rebuilt version of the earlier Temple of Ezra and Nehemiah). For centuries, this date marked the terrible fate that … Read more
Twice, Scripture tells us that the glory of God has filled the Tabernacle, which, in essence is what the Tabernacle was for. When God first instructed Moses on this issue, He said: “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Exodus 25:8). Clearly, in having His glory fill the Tabernacle, He is dwelling among His people.
The Punishment of the Emorites is the Reward of Israel This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest. (Leviticus 14:2) So begins a detailed description of the rituals involved with purifying someone who has been afflicted with Biblical … Read more
One has to wonder what is so special about this particular place, why did God tell David to go to this specific threshing floor and make a sacrifice? We find the answer that ties everything together and shows us the master plan that God had in mind from the very beginning in 2 Chronicles 3:1 Now Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem
We owe our lives to these people. We owe our freedom, our independence, the miracle of our existence, to these young people who loved their land and their people and who were killed in the prime of their life.
July 2011 I just came home from being abroad for six days. The trip was my mother’s idea and it was an incredible one! My mother, my two sisters, Judy and Batya, and my brother-in-law Richie, live in America, all in the New York area, and my husband and I live in Israel. It’s hard. … Read more
I think I’ll put in my last load of laundry tomorrow so I can take in any clothing hanging out on the line to dry, before Thursday night when the fires will be set. I make a reminder for myself to close all the windows of the house tightly in order to try and prevent … Read more
December 2009 We had parent teacher conferences on Sunday for my 14 year old son Avraham. Avraham’s our first boy after four daughters, so choosing a high school for him had been a new experience. Dormitory schools are pretty standard, especially for boys, and I tried not to be insulted that my independent son happily … Read more
April 2011 Just last night, Jews from all over the world sat down to the Pesach Seder, the festive meal that opens the Passover holiday. It is a culmination of weeks of preparation and anticipation. Everyone—young and old, religiously observant and secular—sits down at their holiday table, whether at a communal Seder at a hotel … Read more
August 2011 I remember that day as if it were yesterday, and almost feel again those pains in my stomach and in my heart… the day we left America to move to Israel. At that point we had been living for a few weeks at my mother’s house, because the cargo lift with all our … Read more