Podcasts about Kaddish

Part of the gift of emunah is knowing that there is always purpose and meaning behind everything that happens in our lives. A wrong turn was meant to be, a bad purchase was meant to be — and the list goes on. When a person understands that there's purpose behind his so-called mistakes, he'll be able to feel calm even in situations that would naturally bring stress. A man was recently teaching emunah to a group of teenagers on a bus. He told them that nothing is a mistake, and that everything happens for a reason. Just then, the driver made a wrong turn. The speaker smiled and told the boys not to worry — it was Me'et Hashem . Amazingly, down that very road, there were nine Jews trying to complete a minyan for Mincha so someone could say Kaddish before sunset. The driver stopped the bus, they all got off, and they made the minyan. Another story: a woman received a message that a couple from her community had been hospitalized. She decided to visit them. Although the hospital was far and her day was full, she baked fresh challot that morning and brought some along to give them. When she arrived, someone at the hospital commented how much he loves challah. She apologized, explaining that she had brought the bread for the couple she came to visit. A short while later, she discovered that the couple had actually been discharged earlier that day. In the past, this woman would have been frustrated over going so far for "nothing." But now, with emunah, she just smiled and said, "I'm so happy that I work for You, Hashem. If I'm here, that means You wanted me to be here." She went back, gave the challot to the man who had admired them, and made his day. She doesn't know why Hashem arranged for her to receive that message and believe the couple was still there. But she knows there was a reason — and she was grateful to be part of His plan. אין עוד מלבדו — we are always where we are meant to be. A man shared that one morning, his chavruta wanted to learn and pray earlier than usual. Because of this, he got home earlier. Just as he arrived, he saw his wife about to enter her car — and a man was sitting inside, trying to steal it. He was able to detain the thief until the police arrived. His chavruta had his own reasons for starting earlier, but clearly, it was all part of Hashem's orchestration, ensuring this man would be home at the exact moment his wife was in danger. Another story: a woman received two precious rings from her grandmother. Each night, she removed them and wore them again the next day. One day, she couldn't find them. She searched the house thoroughly. Days passed. She prayed, did segulot , but it seemed the rings were lost. Then, at 2:30 a.m., she woke up with a sudden thought — maybe she had put them in the pocket of a shirt. That very shirt was in the laundry bag, which her husband was going to take to the cleaners in the morning. She rushed downstairs — and there were the rings, right in the pocket. They were very expensive and most likely would not have come back once they went to the cleaners. Hashem woke her up with that thought just a few hours before her husband was going to take them. Every moment of our lives is calculated. Hashem governs every second with precise purpose and meaning. Wherever we find ourselves, and whatever we're doing — we are working for Hashem. He has a unique job for each of us at all times!

Kaddish and the Idea of Jewish Nationalism, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the meaning of Kaddish and why does it require a quorum? How does the impetus for a public declaration shed light on the idea of לאומיות ישראלית - Jewish Nationalism? This talk was given at the annual Karen and Ariel Avrech z"l Memorial Lecture at Young Israel of Century City. יהי זכרם ברוך. Source sheet >>

CONTENT WARNING: Obviously, by title we discuss Nazis this episode and also genocide, anti-semitism, fascism, racism, war, and hate-based violence. We encourage you to use your own descretion as to how much you want to engage with these topics right now. Take care of yourself, you are worth it!  Does your favorite sci-fi show have an episode where filthy fascists get fantastically felled? For Stella Cheeks, it's the Star Trek TOS episode "Patterns of Force" and for Erin Cline it's the X-Files episode "Kaddish." Join Stella and Erin as we discuss how Nazis are bad, no matter the planet.  --- About the podcast: Erin Cline and Stella Cheeks have been friends for over a decade but have never seen each other's favorite TV show. Seeking to rectify that grievous error (seriously, they used to live together), X-Treks was born! Each week the duo choose one episode from Star Trek: The Original Series and one episode from The X-Files that fits a previously chosen cinematic theme, watch them together, and share their feelings! Alongside producer Bobby Hoffman, they discuss their first impressions, how the episodes fit into the larger fan lore, and fascinating behind-the-scenes facts. 

Dans le cadre de la série sur la mort, il me semblait important de convier des officiants religieux. Car c'est eux qui sont encore souvent aux premières loges lors de ce passage. J'ai également la conviction profonde que dans nos rituels ancestraux réside une sagesse universelle. Nul besoin d'être croyant ni pratiquant pour s'en saisir.Dans cet épisode, le Rabbin Jonas Jacquelin nous entraîne dans une exploration des rituels funéraires et du deuil à travers le prisme du judaïsme. Ces rituels révèlent leur étonnante pertinence dans notre monde moderne.De la Tahara à la Shiva, en passant par le Kaddish, Jonas nous guide, décortiquant chaque étape du processus de deuil. Ses récits, empreints d'humanité, illustrent comment ces traditions ancestrales offrent un cadre précieux pour honorer les morts et soutenir les vivants dans leur chagrin.Plus qu'une simple exploration du deuil dans le judaïsme, cet épisode est une invitation à repenser notre relation à la mort. Jonas nous rappelle que, malgré sa douleur, la mort est le miroir qui reflète la beauté et la fragilité de la vie, nous incitant à vivre pleinement chaque instant.Timeline00:00:00 - 00:05:30 : Introduction et présentation de Jonas Jacquelin, rabbin00:05:31 - 00:12:45 : Le parcours de Jonas : du droit au rabbinat00:12:46 - 00:18:20 : Les rituels funéraires dans le judaïsme : de la mort à l'inhumation00:18:21 - 00:25:15 : L'oraison funèbre : un exercice délicat d'équilibriste00:25:16 - 00:31:40 : Le deuil dans le judaïsme : la Shiva et les Shloshim00:31:41 - 00:38:10 : Faire son deuil : un processus d'acceptation et de mémoire00:38:11 - 00:44:55 : Les commémorations après la première année de deuil00:44:56 - 00:57:45 : Comment accompagner une personne juive en deuil quand on n'est pas juifDistribué par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

It is forbidden to enter a cemetery, or to come within four Amot of a grave, while one's Sisit are exposed or while wearing Tefillin. Public Misva observance in close proximity to a grave is an insult to the deceased, as it appears as though one taunts the deceased who no longer has the opportunity to perform Misvot. One is therefore not permitted to display his Sisit or wear Tefillin in a cemetery or near a grave. Likewise, it is forbidden to study Torah or pray within four Amot of a grave. One may, however, speak words of Torah or Hit'orerut (religious inspiration), or recite Tehillim, near the grave for the purpose of bringing merit to the deceased's soul. Sephardic custom similarly allows reciting Kaddish for the deceased by his grave. One must conduct himself with respect and decorum in a cemetery. Frivolity and laughter are forbidden in a cemetery. Halacha also forbids using the cemetery in a disrespectful manner, such as by bringing animals to graze there, or running an irrigation system through it. One may not eat or drink in a cemetery, even if his intention is to recite Berachot to benefit the soul of the deceased, as this is disrespectful. Smoking in a cemetery is likewise forbidden. One may not sit or step on a grave. A number of sources (Eliyahu Rabba 224:7, Kaf Ha'haim Sofer – Orah Haim 224:41) record the practice to place a small stone or piece of grass on the grave before leaving the cemetery, as an indication of, or testament to, one's visit to the grave. Others, however, claim that one specifically should not place anything on a grave, as this is disrespectful. This was the custom of the Kabbalist Rabbi Sulman Musafi. Summary: It is forbidden to publicly perform Misvot in a cemetery, but one may speak words of Torah or recite Tehillim in a cemetery to benefit the deceased's soul. One must conduct himself respectfully and reverently in a cemetery; joking, eating, drinking and smoking are forbidden.

Recitations of the Mourner's Kaddish from Reconstructing Judaism communal events

Recitations of the Mourner's Kaddish from Reconstructing Judaism communal events

Recitations of the Mourner's Kaddish from Reconstructing Judaism communal events

Tova Friedman was just six years old when she walked out of Auschwitz.  Now, 80 years later, Tova is devoted to speaking about her experiences as a child survivor of the Holocaust and being vocal about the threat of antisemitism. She knows how easily a society can transition from burning books to burning people, and she is determined to ensure that never happens again. Tova speaks to audiences worldwide–in person and on the social media platform TikTok, where she has amassed over half a million followers. Listen to Tova's harrowing, miraculous testimony of survival, as part of a live recording at the Weizmann National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, in partnership with AJC Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey.  Lisa Marlowe, director of the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center (HAMEC), joined us to discuss the museum's mission to bring Holocaust survivors to schools, the importance of teaching history through eyewitness accounts, and the significance of preserving stories of righteous individuals like her Danish great-grandmother, who saved thousands of Jews during WWII. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. Photo credit: Christopher Brown Resources: -About Tova Friedman and TovaTok -Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center (HAMEC) -AJC Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey Listen – AJC Podcasts: -The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran -People of the Pod Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of Interview with Tova Friedman and Lise Marlowe: Manya Brachear Pashman:  Yom HaShoah, Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, begins on the evening of April 23. To mark this remembrance, our broadcast this week features our recent live event at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. There I had a conversation with Lise Marlowe, of the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center in suburban Philadelphia and author and Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman.  __ Thank you to all of you for being here today to participate in a live recording of People of the Pod, American Jewish Committee's weekly podcast about global affairs through a Jewish lens. I'm your host, Manya Brachear Pashman. Down here on this end is Lise Marlowe, our partner and organizer of this wonderful event. She is the program and Outreach Director of the Holocaust awareness Museum and Education Center, otherwise known as HAMC in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, which is just outside here in Philadelphia. She is also a long time teacher who has come up with some quite innovative ways to teach Holocaust history to middle school students. But before we begin and get to all of that, I do want to turn to Lisa for a few minutes. If you could just tell us a little bit about HAMC. What is it? Because we are in a different museum venue now.  Lise Marlowe:   Thank you Manya, and thank you everyone for being here today. So HAMC is America's first Holocaust Museum, which started in 1961 by Holocaust survivor named Jacob Riz, who lost 83 family members to the Nazis. Our Museum's mission is to bring Holocaust survivors to schools and organizations. We believe it's important to give students the opportunity to learn history through an eyewitness. When we host a school program, we tell students that they are the last generation to meet a survivor, and once they hear a survivor's story, it becomes their story to tell. It also becomes their responsibility to speak up and stand up to the Holocaust deniers of the world and to say, I know you're lying because I met a survivor. It's not easy for our survivors to tell their story, but they want to honor the family they lost. And to make sure students know what happened so history hopefully doesn't repeat itself.  Hearing about the rise of antisemitism, seeing hate towards other groups, can bring trauma to our survivors, but our survivors teach students that there are things we can do to stand up to hate. We can remember that words matter, kindness matters, that we can support and help each other when bad things happen. The Holocaust did not begin with concentration camps. It began with words.  Our museum brings hundreds of programs all over the world, so please reach out to us at HAMC.org. Because we believe education is stronger than hate. We find that students are inspired by the messages our survivors tell them, which is to not hate others. Even though they lost everything. Their families, their property, their identity, their childhood, they teach students that hate can only destroy yourself. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Thank you so much, Lise. I met some of Lise's former students who are here in the audience today. You have some really remarkable ways of teaching Holocaust history so that it sticks. I would like to get into that a little bit later. And you also have your own family story to share, and we'll learn more about that later, as she is one of our two guests on today's podcast.  You see, there are three pieces to our podcast today, including the traditional format of a conversation with our guests, which will come later, and then your opportunity to ask questions. But to really comprehend what we discuss, you must first hear the powerful story that our guest of honor, the woman next to me, Tova Friedman, one of the youngest people to emerge from Auschwitz, the Nazi's concentration camp and extermination camp in occupied Poland. You must hear her story first.  Tova has worked tirelessly to share her story in every format possible, to reach the widest audience. In addition to telling her story in person, at venues such as this, she worked with a journalist to produce an accurate and comprehensive memoir, and next month, a young adult version of that memoir will be released.  She's worked with her grandson, Aaron, a student at Washington University, to share portions of her story on Tiktok on a channel called TovaTok, that has about 522,000 followers, and she is here today to reach our podcast listeners. And you. After her presentation, Tova will have a seat once again, and we'll continue the conversation. But right now, it is my honor to turn the mic over to Tova Friedman:. Tova Friedman:   Thank you. I have no notes and I can't sit because I'm a walker. You know, I think better when I walk. I think better on my feet. Let me tell you, a few months ago, I was in Poland. I was invited as a speaker to the 80th commemoration of Auschwitz liberation.  Five years ago, I was there also–75th. And there were 120 Holocaust survivors there with their families and their friends from Auschwitz. This time there were 17 [survivors], and we'll have no more commemoration. We're done. People, the lucky people, are dying from old age. You know, they're, or they're Florida, or they're gone, okay, they're not available.  So what's scary is that many young people will not meet a survivor, and they will be told in colleges and high schools, probably it never happened. It's an exaggeration. You know, the Jews. They want everybody to be sorry for them. That will happen. And that's been happening here and there to my grandchildren.  Right now, I've got eight grandchildren, but two are in colleges, and one is in Cornell. And I got the saddest phone call on Earth. To me it's sad. He got a beautiful Jewish star when we went to Israel. He called me to ask me if he should wear it inside, hidden, or if he should wear it outside. That's so symbolic.  And I said to him, do you want to be a visible Jew, or do you want to be a hidden Jew? Do what you want. I will not criticize you. I know that life is changed from when I went to college. America is different, and I'm just so upset and unhappy that you, at age 18-19, have to go through that. One of my grandkids had to leave the dormitory because of the absolute terrible antisemitism. She is in McGill in Canada, and she has to live by herself in an apartment because even her Jewish friends stopped talking to her. So what kind of a world are we living in? Extraordinarily scary, as far as I'm concerned. That's why I talk. You can hear my voice. I talk as much as I can for a number of reasons. First, I talk in order for those people who were murdered, million and a half children, some of the faces I still remember, and a total 6 million Jews, they cannot be forgotten. They cannot be forgotten.  This is such a wonderful place here that I hear you have classes and you have survivors talking to kids. You take them to schools. I think it's fabulous, but you got to do it fast, because there's just not many of us going to be here for a long time. So one thing is memory.  The other reason I speak is a warning. I really feel that this world is again turning against us. We have been scapegoats all through history. Books have been written. Why? Why this? Why that? Why this? Why that? I can't figure out why. They're jealous, we feel with the chosen people. Oh, my God, it goes on and on. But why us? It started 2000 years ago.  So I'm here to remember, so that all those people didn't just die and became ashes. But we're living in a world where we have to be aware. We have to be aware. You heard statistics that were scary. You know, I didn't even know some of the statistics. That Jews are stopping to use their Jewish last name when they make reservations somewhere? In America.? You know, I remember when I walked out from Auschwitz with my mother. My mother survived, and I'll take you back and just give me a certain amount of time. What happened? She said to me, remember I was exactly six and a half years old. And I do, I remember. And one of the reasons I remember is because my mother was a big talker. Talker just like I am. I inherited it from her. She would tell me everything. We were in all kinds of conditions. And I'd say, Mom, what is that? She says, Yeah, that's the smoke, people are being burned. She didn't say, you know, Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it. No, no, no, no. She talked and she talked as long as I was with her, until we were separated. That's why my memory is so sharp, and I always tell the younger generation: stop texting and start talking. Texting, you won't remember anything. It doesn't go into your brain. When somebody talks to you, you will never forget. When your mom or dad says things to you, you will remember them. If they text it to you, it lasts a few minutes and it's gone. So that's why I remember so much.  My mother lost 150 people. She was the only survivor of Auschwitz. The only survivor, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, all gone, and she died very young. She died at 45. Her war never ended. Her Auschwitz, she brought with her to America because she just couldn't get over it. My father lost about all his brothers and sisters except two, and he was able to handle life a little bit better, but she wasn't.  In my town, there were hundreds of Jewish children at the end of the war. There were five left. Five. I'm the youngest. That's why I'm still here talking. Two have died, and one is in her 90s, and she doesn't talk much anymore. So I feel like I'm representing an entire town that's gone, just gone. A town that had synagogues and they had football and they had a very vibrant town. Where my mother was a young woman. She was studying. My father was an actor, a singer, and a tailor, so he should have some money, but they were all functioning. It's all gone.  When I went to visit, because I took my grandchildren so they can see, there was no sign the Jews even were there. It's like we disappeared. My memory of the war starts when I was four, not so much before. My parents lived in a very modern town. And because they left the shtetl, my mother wasn't interested in all the religious and the sheitles, and you know, the wigs people used to wear, which, by the way, my daughter now is wearing a wig, which is sort of strange, right?  And they went to live a modern life. As soon as Kristallnacht came, he knew right away that this is not a place for him. And what do you do when you're scared? You go home, you go to your parents. So my mother and father, I was one year old, went back to their parents' home. What did they find there? That they were already in a ghetto.  Now, I remember the ghetto at the age of four, there were lots and lots of people in a tiny apartment, no running water, no bathrooms, no food, no room. So I was under the table. All my memories were under the table. And I knew things that were going on. How did I know? Because I heard it.  You know, a kid at four, four and a half, people make mistakes. The children don't know. Children know everything. They may not be able to verbalize it, but they know. And I knew what was the issue. I knew that they killed children and that I have to be under the table. I knew that. I knew that my grandparents are going to die soon. I heard it. I heard my father talking. I heard my mother talking. I heard the other people talking in the apartment in Yiddish. I still remember the words, oh, they name it. They're taking the elderly. They're taking this.  Well, one day they came in, they took my grandmother, and they shot her, right outside our window, you know, took her outside. You know what's amazing when I think about this? Because I've tried to get some perspective. I've always tried to figure out, how did that happen? Why?  How is it possible? Hitler was brilliant, and if he wasn't brilliant, he had brilliant people helping him. Idiots could not have done what he did. They were educated people. He had therapists. He had a nutritionist. And you know what they said, break up the family, and you will break up people. People die when their family is killed, they die sometimes physically, sometimes emotionally. Listen, I'm a grandmother. I have eight grandchildren. I know what it means to be a grandmother in my role, and I'm sure many of you feel the same way. So they took away the elderly.  One day, my father comes in, and he says to my mother, I just put them on the truck. I know what he meant. I was exactly four and a half because I was standing by a table. I could tell my size. The table went up to my chin, and I knew that there were because the day before these people in their 20s and 30s, they were the strong guys. They dug graves for their own parents. We, the Jews, dug graves for our children and our parents.  You know when the Nuremberg Trials came, some of the guys said, we didn't do anything. We never killed any…you know why? Because they used us to kill our own people. So that time, my father told my mother what was going on. He was sitting, his tears were coming down. And I could picture it, because, by the way, whatever I tell you, multiply by hundreds. This was a template, you know, like you have a template on a computer, you just fill in the name and everything is the same. You can fill in all kinds. You apply for a job. There is a special way. That's what happened. The Germans when they came to a town, they didn't have to think what happened. They had the piece of paper, kill the elderly, kill the children, as soon as possible. So I knew. I knew exactly what was going on. I knew that my grandparents were gone, my father's parents, my mother's mother was killed. Her my grandpa died before the war from some disease. He was very lucky. So here we are. One day. I had this uncle, James. He was a German Jew. He spoke a perfect German.  So he thought, look at our minds. He thought, he speaks German. He's going to volunteer. He didn't have working papers, and he was scared to die. His wife, my aunt, she had working papers. So he went to the Gestapo, and he said, I'll be your translator. I speak a perfect German. I was born in German. And they shot him on the spot.  So I remember he used to come and visit us. I sat on his lap one day. My father said, you won't go to see Uncle James anymore. He's not coming back. I didn't say anything. I know he was dead. I didn't know how he was dead. So the reason I'm telling you all the different things is because this happened in every other ghetto.  We were living 16,000 Jews in 250 apartments, and we couldn't go in, and we couldn't get out, except certain people who had privileges. They had working papers, they had special papers. They could go out. That's how the smuggling started. Also, certain people could go out, bring some food, because we were starving. We were starving to such a point. You know why? Because the nutritionist, the PhD, the best nutritionist in Germany, told Hitler how much to feed us in order to die. You want them to die in two months? Give them that much bread. You want them to die in two weeks? Give them that. My town, which was called Tomaszow Mazowiecki, has no Jews anymore. I just wanted to mention the name because my family was there for 200 years, because the Poles in the beginning were very good to the Jews.  They wanted the Jews because we were good business people. Every time the Jews were there, the place thrived. There were close to 100 tailor shops in town, all Jewish. So how could you go wrong? They brought business from everywhere. But now, of course, there isn't anybody. And slowly,  all those people were sent to Treblinka. There were left about 50-60, people, my parents, I among them. There were very few kids left. And we were the cleanup squad. Not only did my father had to dig the graves, I don't think my mother did. My father, dig the graves, but afterwards you have to clean up. You can't leave a town so dirty because they wanted to leave no witnesses. Hitler had an order all the way from Berlin, no witnesses. That's another reason he killed the children. Kids can grow up and be a witness like me, and that was very dangerous for him. Because, you know, it's interesting from the psychological point of view, no matter what atrocities he and his people did, in the back of their mind, they were afraid of the consequences. They were afraid of consequences. That's why you leave no witnesses.  But at that time, my father buried people and he said Kaddish. I didn't know what Kaddish was. I didn't know what being Jewish was. I don't remember any Jewish holidays. I knew that being Jewish means death, but I wasn't sure what that meant, Juden. What is this Juden business? But look at four and a half. I wasn't going to think about it. Anyhow, they moved the camp. We cleaned it up. We came to the next camp, and the next camp was the labor camp. Only work. We worked for more, not me, my parents did, and I want to tell you something about that.  Slowly they did the same exact thing they did in every other camp. People were taken away. The moment you were sick, the moment you were tired, straight into some camp. One day, I heard, I heard– my mother told me, I didn't hear anything. She said they're taking the children, whoever, whatever, there were very few children left, maybe 20-30–we've got to hide you. And she hid me in like a crawl space, like they had these tiles or something. I don't know it was tile, something. And she put me in there, and she followed me, just the two of us, my father didn't get in there. And she put me on her lap, I remember. And she put her hands on my mouth. I shouldn't scream.  I remember it was so tight that for weeks I had blue marks right here. And from the little window, I see where all my friends that I was playing with outside, because my parents were gone a whole day, I was outside with the other kids, put on trucks, but I knew where they were going. They were going to the place where the big graves were dug for them.  So anyhow, when my mother said, we have to hide, we were there for maybe an hour or two. After it was all done, the kids were gone. We went up downstairs in a little room. She said, from now on, you can no longer be on the street. Okay, so I couldn't go out. I stayed in the dark room for a few weeks. It's another story, but one day I remember, and she came every day from work, she gave me food, and I slept with my parents. Because they were in the room with me.  One day, she said, Oh, you don't have to go to the room anymore. I was delighted. I said, I don't have to? No, you can go outside. I haven't been outside for weeks, and I saw she was sort of packing, moving things. We had so few things. I said, What are you doing? She says, We're packing. We're going to Auschwitz. Again, they had, you know, cleaned up the ghetto.  The place was called Starachowice. It was a Polish place. Had a town next to it even, and people who lived around, the non Jews, knew what was going on. They all knew, because there was always a town nearby. There was also a town near Auschwitz. Auschwitz, people lived a normal life there. So anyhow, I knew. I said, Auschwitz. We're going to Auschwitz, okay? I didn't care. I was so happy that I was outside.  Within a very short time, we started walking. The train was waiting. My parents were separated. That's the first time. We were always together. My father was crying, and I remember I was little, so my mother picked me up, because I don't know if anybody of you either have been either to Auschwitz or to New York City. They have the cattle car by the museum, right outside, right. You saw the cattle car and it's that high, very hard to get on it. So she had to pick me up. She put me in and my father said, Be a good girl. I said, Yeah, I'll be a good girl. And he went to another cattle car. I was with my mother, and then a 36 hour drive began, no food, no no food and no drink, very hot, because they were all women. 150 women, and no bathrooms.  And I remember, I said, Mom, I have to go. I have to go. She didn't answer me. And then I said to myself, Oh, I know everybody's going where they're standing. I think that that was a dividing line between being human and being inhuman. We're all dressed like normal kids. I had braids, you know, when we walked out, we were all covered with feces, because everybody was going everywhere. And many people had died, and I am outside standing watching all this going on, and my mother says to me, Get undressed.  And I said, why? It was about July, August. It was summertime. Why? She said to me, they want to check if we're healthy. So I, very obedient, by the way, very, very. My mother taught me rules, and I'll tell you about the rules. So I took off my clothes, and she said, don't look at the eyes of the dogs. Don't look at anybody's eyes, because these the Germans came with their dogs. And When I was by myself, in the in the labor camp, she also taught me, because I was alone, never have eye contact. She said, eye contact will make you recognize and when you see a dog stand still, which is counterintuitive.  I was frightened, terrified of the dogs more than of the Germans, but she said, the dogs will think that you're running away, and they are trained to kill when somebody's trying to run away. So in other words, she always trained me how to be self sufficient, how to recognize danger and what to do with it. So eye contact is pure danger, and running is pure danger. So I learned very, very easily how to do that. So when I'm there, I'm standing very still, the dogs are passing by. And then I say, what's the smell, it stinks here. I said, it stinks. She pointed to the crematorium. They were taking the burning bodies from the gas chamber, and it was all black, and you could smell it. And you know what? She didn't have to say anymore. I knew it. So I remember saying, Mom, how do I look? How do I look? And she said, Oh, you look good. I said, Am I healthy? She said, Yeah, you're very healthy. I said, what about you? Oh, I'm healthy too. She said. And somehow we made it.  I tried to find out. I wrote a book together with a researcher. He tried to research. He lives in England. What happened that day? Every child under the age of 12 or 13 was taken straight to the crematorium. We're useless. Old people, pregnant people, sick people. What is old, 50 and over, because you can't work. Even in Auschwitz, you had to work. Even when you waited for your death, there was some job they gave you. So that you had to be healthy, at least. Anyhow, I don't really know. I was told that we arrived on a Sunday, and Sunday they were the Germans were Christians, so they didn't want to open another crematorium. They had four going. They didn't want the fifth. That's somehow how I and my mother survived. My whole transport, not just me. We were all, you know, a bunch of people. We went to another room. They shaved my head. I remember that very well, because they picked me up and I was, I was quite small, so they picked me up, put me on a bench, and the woman did my hair. And she herself, and I couldn't find my mother, and they gave me some clothes, because they've taken my clothes by the train. And then she found me, and then she took my hand, and we followed a whole bunch of people into Auschwitz proper. This was outside of Auschwitz before you were like, ready, and so you went inside. We got a middle bed, and then she started teaching me again.  She said, you know, there'll be a lot of people here sleeping. More women, so when you're asleep, you can't move around so much, because then everybody else has to move. Okay. And I said, What about if I have to go to the bathroom? She says, No, you can't. That was a terrible thing for me as a child. I had to hold it, because they had it twice a day to the bathroom. And then she said, Look, you're going to get a cup. I didn't get it yet. We were going to be getting a cup, a tin cup, a spoon and a bowl. If tyou lose it, and if somebody steals it, you'll go hungry and you'll die.  She said, they don't look at you. You take out the bowl. Somebody gives you something to eat. Nobody touched it, by the way. I was so aware of it. I just want to go a little fast forward, because I need your questions. I need to know what you want to know. And then one of the things I told you is bathroom for kids. It was hard for me to hold it. Well one day, we were all on line, and I really had to go. So I went in front of the line, and I was in such a hurry that I fell. The way the bathrooms were, I don't know if anybody's been to Auschwitz. The slabs of the boards. It was big, gigantic holes. The holes were like, maybe this size. My grandkids, who are, one of them is 6”2, got the privilege, because of me, to try out those bathrooms.  He sat on it and he said, Grandma, I don't know how you didn't of course, you fell in. He said, It's too big for me. I fell inside. And of course, they got me out and they hosed me down, but I must have picked up some kind of a bug. There were rats there, there were feces up to here. And I got very sick, but I knew that sickness meant death, so I was very careful not to tell anybody, but that somebody saw me, and they said, this child, this child is ill.  And they were so scared of illness, because illness meant death immediately. Because every morning they came, they picked up the dead, the sick, on one of those three wheel things. Wheelbarrow, wheelbarrow, to the crematorium. So I was afraid to be one of them. And then somebody said she's sick. She's going to infect all of us.  They picked me up. I don't remember much about that, because I was really ill, and they took me to one of those places, a hospital, without doctors. When I woke up, I must have had fever, they told me no more. You can't go back to your mother. And that's when they took me to the children's place. For the first time, I saw so many children, I never knew they even existed, and they tattooed me. I remember. They said, Oh, your name is such and such. No, it's 27,633. And the woman said, Say it. Say it. I couldn't say it. I don't know what numbers were. Never went to school, but she was so kind. She taught me. She said it again. She said, just say the words, say the words. And I did it, and I learned.  And she gave me a rag with cold water. She said, press it hard. Don't rub. It'll swell. I was there just about towards the end of the war. But one day, I got a package and it said, Happy sixth birthday. I'm six. I didn't know it. I said, Oh, my mother must be somewhere, and she's alive, because she gave me a package. It was a piece of bread, but I was going to save it until I'm dead. I imagine there's a little girl I'm going to be dying, dying, dying, like everybody is dying, but I won't, because I'll take that piece of bread and I'll eat it. I didn't know anything about bread getting stale. I know nothing about bread, so I remember keeping it here, just like that, because it was on a piece of string. In the middle of the night, rats came, ate up everything, tore my clothing, but they didn't touch me. Miracle. There were a number of miracles that, I should have been dead.  All I can tell you is, within a few weeks, something weird was going on at Auschwitz. I did not know. Terrible noise, terrible shooting. Dogs were barking, and the person who was in charge of us, it was always a kapo, an adult woman, was gone. The door was open, but we didn't dare open the door. We heard the dogs outside, and shooting. We were frightened and we were hungry. There wasn't even the little bit that we got every day, even that wasn't there.  And all of a sudden, the door opens, and my mother–I didn't know it was my mother–a woman comes in full of rags. She looks terrible. She looks around. Nobody's saying a word. She looks around, she looks around, she comes over to me, and she looks at me, and she bends down like on her knees a little bit. She says my name, and she says, You don't know me. I'm your mother. I thought to myself, my mother, she doesn't look like my mother. I only saw my mother six, seven months earlier, but she didn't look anything like it.  She just looked just, I can't even describe it. But she convinced me and listen to what she said. She looked at me. She said, You look like you can survive. Look at me. Her feet were swollen, and she said, listen, we're going to try to hide. We will either survive together or die together. What do you think? I said, I want to be with you. I don't care what. She takes my hand and we snuck, we didn't even have to sneak out because the door was open, but the other kids refused to leave. We were all so frightened, but somehow we got out.  She's walking. She's walking. Outside the dogs are barking. It's terrible. We're walking very close to the barracks, and she comes to a house, door. She walks. She must have had a plan. I didn't know that. And it's a hospital without doctors. All these people are screaming and crying and she goes from bed to bed. She touches everybody. I don't ask a question. And I'm wondering, why is she doing that?  She found a corpse that she liked. It was a corpse of a young woman, maybe twenty, now I look back at it to me, she was an adult, in the 20s, nice, nice looking woman who must have just died because she was warm. So she could manipulate her body. I remember my mother took off my shoes, picked me up, and she said, Listen, don't breathe. I'm going to cover you up. No matter what you hear–because she knew I couldn't see anything–what you hear don't get uncovered. Try to breathe into the ground.  She takes my face, she puts it towards the floor, and she manipulates my body, and she puts me very close to the corpse, and then she covers it up, and outside, you only see the head of the woman who died, and her hands, and her hands are holding like the blanket, so you can't see. All of a sudden, I can hear screaming and yelling. I don't move. I obey orders. And I can hear steps. I remember the steps, and somebody stopped, and I say to myself, Oh, I'm going to stop breathing. I stopped breathing. I was afraid that the blanket would move. Well, I just couldn't anymore.  The person walked away, and then screaming and yelling went on, I didn't move. And all of a sudden I smelled smoke, and I said, How can I not get uncovered? In the beginning, I still breathed very shallow, but I couldn't. And I said, I'll have to get uncovered to get air. And then all of a sudden, my mother pulls the blanket off me and says in Yiddish, they're gone. The Germans are gone. And she must have hidden with another corpse. And when I sit up in the bed, all these people have been hiding with other corpses. And in order to get out, they were pushing the corpses off the beds, so the corpses were flying everywhere, you know, while the people who were hidden under the corpses. So she says to me, come. I couldn't find my shoes, so I walked without and she takes my hand, and we were all walking. It was January 25, 1945. Germans have all gone. Taken with them, 50,000 people. Other people were just dying everywhere, and the Russians had not come yet. The Russians came two days later.  So we had two days inside the camp, without anybody, without the Germans. And we waited until they came, but there was electrified still. We couldn't get out. There was electricity everywhere. So we waited till the Russians came. And while we were standing by the barbed wires, I saw all these soldiers jump off trucks, and they were doing something with electricity. Then they could open the doors. And it was January 27 the liberation of Auschwitz, where children, whoever was left, was left. But many were in the process of dying, and you couldn't stop it.  Hundreds and hundreds of people died while the Russians were there, because you couldn't stop whatever they had, you know. And I remember, the Russians said, show us your number. Some kids were standing there. There's a picture of it, and I'm standing in front showing my number. And I'm talking for all the kids who didn't make it to that day. So thank you for listening.  Did I take too much time? I'm sorry.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   I don't think you can take too much time sharing that story. I know that there's so much more to share.  So many miracles, Tova. Tova Friedman:   Yes. Manya Brachear Pashman:  You have spent most of your adult life sharing your story to advance Holocaust education, and I'm curious what was the catalyst for that? Did someone ask you to share your story? Tova Friedman:   I tried to talk to people when I came to America. Because my teachers, I could read. I didn't go to school till I was 12. So I wanted to tell them why, but nobody heard me. Nobody cared. Nobody wanted to talk about it. But one day, when my oldest daughter was 15, she said to me, they're looking for a Holocaust survivor in school. Can you come to my class? That's how I started. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And then your grandson, many years later, introduced you to this thing called Tiktok, right? Tova Friedman:   I didn't know what Tiktok was because my daughter worked for a candy company called Tic Tac. You know the Tic Tac that you eat, the little white things that you have, like they make noise and stuff. So that's her company. Well, it's not her. She works for them. So I said to my son, what would a candy company be interested in the Holocaust? It's the same word. In fact, I still don't know the difference. Tik tok? Tic Tac? Manya Brachear Pashman:  Tic Tacs. Tova Friedman:   Tic Tac and TikTok? Manya Brachear Pashman:  Yes. Right, that's what you're on, TikTok. Tova Friedman:   A refugee is always a refugee. So he said to me, we had Shabbos dinner in his house, and he said, Can you give me two minutes? I said, Of course. He said, Just tell me something about yourself. Two minutes, because the people who are going to hear it have a two minute span. They can't listen to more than two minutes. I said, What should I say? Anything? Okay, my name and two minutes. Goes very quickly. And then all of a sudden, a half hour later, he said, people are interested. I said, what people? He said, on this. I said, on what?  You have a phone in your hand. What are they, who? And that's how it started. He first explained to me the system, what it means, and he got questions. He said, Would you like to answer the questions? I said, Who's asking? You know, I mean, I'm not in the generation of social media. I don't even have Facebook. I don't know any of that stuff. So he explained to me, he taught me, and he's very good at it. He's a wonderful guy. He's now 20. He's at WashU. And he became the person who's going to try to keep it going. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, your presence on Tiktok is really this wonderful, really, very innovative way of reaching people, of reaching young people, Jewish and non-Jewish. Tova Friedman: Right. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Lisa, you've come up with some unusual ways to reach young people. You were a middle school teacher until two years ago. Is that right? But you had this project where you had your students draw stick figures, and this was more than two decades ago when you started this. Can you tell us a little bit about the stick figures, which is like the polar opposite of Tiktok, but just as innovative?  Lise Marlowe:   So when I started teaching the Holocaust, and the first thing you say is 6 million Jews were murdered just for being Jewish, I realized the number did not shock students. I mean, it was sad, and they were empathetic, but the number 6 million…when we think about this generation and our sports heroes and our celebrities making millions of dollars, 6 million didn't sound like a big number. So at the time, I just had students take out a piece of paper and draw 20 stick figures across the paper. And to keep doing that for five minutes to see how many we could draw in five minutes. And my class, on the average, could draw, almost all of our elementary schools and middle schools in five minutes time, thousands of stick figures in five minutes time. And then the next day, when I went to my lesson, I'm teaching the Hitler's rise to power, one of my students stopped me and said, Wait, Mrs. Marlowe, aren't we going to draw stick figures? And I said, What do you mean?  And she said, Well, I went home and I talked to my grandmother, and the other students were jealous that we're drawing stick figures. And I think if we get together, my church and all of our friends, we pull together, I think we can draw 6 million. Tova Friedman: Wow.  Lise Marlowe:   And I said, you want to do this? And she said, Yes, I want to do that. So it warms my heart that every year I had hundreds and hundreds of students drawing stick figures, mostly not Jewish students. We are in a very diverse community in Shawnee school district, one of the most diverse in the state, mostly students of color, and I had them handing me in 1000s of stick figures every week, it covered our whole entire gym floor. And when I retired, sadly, we did not get to all the children, because we know 1.5 million children were murdered.  There was 1.6 million children to start with, and that means 94% of all the Jewish children were murdered in Europe, and we did not reach that milestone. And that shows that 6 million is a big number. And I have students like, you know, they're in their 30s and 40s now, who will always stop me on the street and say, did you get to 6 million. They always remember that's that project, and I have to, sadly tell them, we didn't even finish the children. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Tova, I would say that teaching is your side gig, right? You certainly have done so much to advance education, but professionally, you're a therapist, and I'm curious if your experience, your lived experience, has informed how you communicate with your patients? Tova Friedman:   I think it does. You know, to me, time has been always of essence. Time is the only thing we have. Money comes and goes. You look at the stock market. Tight now, it goes. Sometimes it goes up, sometimes it goes down. Time is the only thing. Once you lose it, it's done.  So when I get a therapist, that's how I always thought, because timing to me, like, how many people just died that didn't have the time, like those 6 million people that you drew. And the children, how much they could have accomplished, had they had time, right? Time was taken from them. So when I get a client, the first thing I say, listen, we're not going to be here forever. We're not going to sit and talk about your parents and your grandparents. Five years from now, you'll be able to maybe. No, it's going to be time-limited, and it's going to be quick. And you have to accept my style, or there's so many people who love having you for 10 years. I need 10 weeks or less.  That means that their goals, you accomplish them. I'm a little tough, and I say I'm not going to hold your hand, even if I could. I can't anymore because of COVID and because a lot of it is on Zoom. But even when I had them in my office, I said, I will not be a therapist who's going to sympathize, sympathize, sympathize. I'll sympathize for five minutes, then we're going to work. And a lot of people will say to me, Oh, that's exactly what I needed, somebody to really push me a little bit. I said, Yeah, but that's the way it's going to be.  And others say, Wow, you're a mean person. I don't want to want to be here. I said, there are hundreds of other therapists. So yes, Holocaust has taught me, eat it fast, or somebody else will take it. I'm sorry, but also that's one thing. But let's talk about the good things. This is good too, but. My degree was in gerontology, because Hitler was, that's the most vulnerable in our society.  You know, the elderly become alcoholics. Loneliness is among the elderly, financial issues. You know, loneliness is a killer. And I worked with the elderly to help them. I felt that's, that's the people that are sort of redundant. So that's where I worked with. I did it for years. And then I went to other age groups. I feel that my experience gives them courage.  You know, come on, come on. Let's do it. Try it. Don't worry. What can happen? What can happen if you speak to your to your father or to your mother and you say this and this, what can happen? In my mind, I said–I don't tell them that, and don't say I said that–I said there are no gas chambers here. So just you know, in my mind, I said, the consequences are minor, so let's do it. And it works. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And I wondered if it was the level, the level of trauma, pales in comparison to what you went through?  Tova Friedman:   No, no. Manya Brachear Pashman:   That's what I was wondering.  Tova Friedman:   I feel that every trauma is different than, you know. You can't say, Well, my foot hurts, and it's so, big deal. So your foot hurts, my two feet hurt. No. Every pain deserves a healing, even if it's a little toe, it deserves it. And I take it very seriously. Most clients don't know about me, hopefully. I don't talk about anything personal. But I'm a little bit, you know, we don't have time on this earth. Let's make it as good as possible.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Thank you, thank you for sharing that. Lisa, I want to ask about your family, about your great grandmother's efforts. She was not Jewish, but she saved thousands of Jews in Denmark, and I'm curious how that story was passed down in your family. Lise Marlowe:   So I started learning the Holocaust at a very young age, because my grandfather was from Denmark, and he actually fought against the Nazis for the Danish Navy, and he would share with me how his mother rescued Jews in boats, in fishing boats, and take them to Sweden. And I never really heard that story before. And I was able to go to Denmark and go to Sweden and do more research. And I learned that she was actually the editor of Land of Folk newspaper, which was a major resistance newspaper. 23 million copies were given out secretly to make sure that people knew what was happening. But I was so proud, you know, being Jewish that my non-Jewish side of my family helped to rescue people, and I think it really helped me with the work that I do now, and standing up, and social justice, that's always been a passion of mine, and I think just her story inspired me to stand up for others. And they literally saved 99% of the population by getting them to Sweden. And it's really a truly heroic story that's not told that much. But the Danish people, if you ask them, they're very humble, and their attitude is, it's what people are supposed to do. So I'm just very proud of that Danish heritage.  Tova Friedman:   Do you think that their king or something has something to do with it? Leaders? Tell me about that? Lise Marlowe:   It's a myth, right, that King Christian wore a Jewish star. He did say, if the Nazis require our Danish Jewish people to wear the star, I will wear it with the highest dignity. Along with my family. And Danish people didn't treat the Jews as the other. They considered them their friends and their neighbors, and that's why they did what they did.  Tova Friedman: Wonderful.  Lise Marlowe:   They didn't see them as the other, which is such an incredible lesson to teach students.  Tova Friedman: Yes, yeah. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Preserving these stories is so important, your experiences. Have you witnessed as lasting an effort to preserve the stories and pass down the stories of the righteous among us, like your great grandmother. And I ask you both this question, is it as important? Tova Friedman:   I think it's, you know, Israel, there is this wonderful, in Yad Vashem, the big museum, there's a whole avenue of the righteous. You know, I ask myself, what would I do if my family would be in danger in order to save somebody else, and the answer is, I don't know. But I am so utterly amazed that people do that. And there are many–well, not enough–but this is very impressive, your story, and I would love to learn. I don't know the answer, what separates one person from the other, that one is selfless and looks at humanity and one only at their own families?  I wish some studies would be done and so forth. Because we have to do something right now. We are now considered the others. You know, we are, in this world, all over Europe, except, ironically, not in Germany. I was in Germany, and I spoke to German kids, high school kids in German. I didn't know I knew German. I just got up and I saw they were trying so hard to understand. I had an interpreter, and I didn't understand the interpreter. And I said, Let me try. Let me try. I speak Yiddish fluently and German a little bit like that. Also, I lived three years in Germany, so I didn't speak it, but it must have come into my head. And do you know what they did after my speech? 250 kids? They came over. They apologized. I mean, they're a generation separated. I went to Dachau, where my father was, and there were two women whose parents or grandparents were Nazis, and they said to me, we're dedicating our entire life to preserve this Dachau andcamp and and they they have, they give talks and Everything, because my family killed your family, but they admit it. So right now, Germany has laws against it. But what about the rest of the world? What's happening in America? So I would love to know how the Danish did that. It's a wonderful story. It makes your heart feel good, you know. Thank you for the story. Lise Marlowe:   I would just add, the survivors we have today were the children who survived, right? Most of the adults are gone. And they were the hidden children. And most of them were hidden by non-Jewish people. Actually, all of them were. The Catholic Church, a farm lady, you know, who said, she took kindness on them. So you know, the hidden children were mostly hidden by non-Jewish people in terms of the righteous of the nations. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Thank you both so much for your insights. This has been a really illuminating conversation.  If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for my conversation with AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Advisor Jason Isaacson, about legacy of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal, the U.S. withdrawal from that deal in 2018, and Iran's dangerous stockpiling of uranium that's getting them closer to nuclear weapons capabilities. You can also listen to our latest episode about the impact of Pope Francis on Jewish-Catholic relations. From April 27-29, 2025, we will be at AJC Global Forum in New York City. Join American Jewish Committee (AJC) and over 2,000 committed activists at the premier global Jewish advocacy conference of the year. After the horrific attack on October 7, 2023, and in this fraught moment for the global Jewish community, escalating threats worldwide underscore the importance of our mission. All who care about the fate of the Jewish people, Israel, and the values of the civilized world must respond now with action, urgency, and resolve. If ever there was a time to stand up and be counted, that time is now. Your voice is needed now more than ever.  If you won't be with us in person, you can tune into the webcast at AJC.org/GlobalForum2025.  

How is this Passover different from all other Passovers? How is the seder we are doing tonight different from all the other seders we have ever done? Let me share a recent conversation I had with a good friend.We have a beloved member of our shul whose mother was born in Londorf, Germany. She was taken with all the other Jews of Londorf to Auschwitz. She was the only survivor from her town. Every other Jew of Londorf perished in Auschwitz. But his mother would go on to survive and thrive, to live a beautiful, joyful life and to build a family with generations of love. Auschwitz was liberated on January 27, 1945. Which meant that this past January 27, 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. He and his wife went to Auschwitz-Birkenau for the occasion, where they recited Kaddish for all those who perished. And it turns out that that very day was also his own mother's yahrtzeit. Their words of Kaddish were filled with multiple meanings.I was talking to him about the unreal intensity of this experience, and he asked me a question that I had never thought about before. He asked: Can you imagine the Jewish story without suffering? A Jewish history without hatred? My initial response was no: The suffering comes with our story. As we say in the Haggadah, b'chol dor v'dor omdim aleinu l'chaloteinu, in every generation, our enemies will arise to try to destroy us.

“The really cool thing about character groups is if you're making worlds, let's talk about the situations where worlds are in demand in genre, and that would be fantasy. If you're making a world like that, it's good to get a whole bunch of different character groups.” — Ezra BaranyIn this episode of How To Write the Future podcast, titled “Fantasy Character Groups Made Simple with Ezra Barany” host Beth Barany hands the mic over to her husband and fellow author Ezra Barany where he shares an introduction to creating character groups in fantasy words, exploring creating a religion and politics, giving you creative freedom in your story world. Beth Barany also shares a few of the ways she can help you with your world building from taking part in a free story success clinic to appearing on the show. ABOUT EZRA BARANYEzra Barany loves riveting readers with thrillers, but by order of the Department of Motor Vehicles he must place a warning on every book cover, “Do not read while driving.” His first two books in The Torah Codes series were award-winning international bestsellers. The second two books in the 4-book series wowed readers too! In his free time, he has eye-opening discussions on the art of writing novels with his wife and book coach Beth Barany. A high school physics teacher, Ezra lives in Oakland with his beloved wife and two cats working on the next book in The Torah Codes series. Ezra, not the cats. For a free short story in The Torah Codes series, “The Mourner's Kaddish,” do please go to http://www.thetorahcodes.com/.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany, an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist, teaches novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor.RESOURCESGET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING - START HEREFree World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/Get support for your fiction writing by a novelist and writing teacher and coach. Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadec. 2025 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!--CONNECTContact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580Email: beth@bethbarany.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/CREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://get.descript.com/0clwwvlf6e3jMUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

The Kaddish - Reciting in the Cemetery by Rabbi Avi Harari

The brothers talk about mourning and saying Kaddish after the passing of their father, of blessed memory.

The brothers talk about mourning and saying Kaddish after the passing of their father, of blessed memory.

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** There is a prevalent custom among the Sepharadim to gesture with one's hands to the right and to the left before beginning the Amida prayer. The custom is to gesture three times to the individual standing to one's right, and then three times to the person to the left. The Ben Ish Hai (Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) records this custom in Parashat Beshalah and writes that this is done for reasons based on Kabbalistic teachings. Additionally, however, the Ben Ish Hai provides a reason on the level of "Peshat" (the simple, straightforward understanding). We describe in the prayer service the procedure by which the angels in heaven praise God, and how the angels would receive permission from one another before beginning the praise, so that the praise would be recited in unison ("Ve'notenim Reshut Ze La'ze"). As we begin our prayer service, we seek to resemble the heavenly angels, and we therefore turn to those standing next to us as though asking permission to begin our prayer, just as the angels do before beginning their praise of God. Rav Haim Palachi (Turkey, 1788-1869), in his Kaf Ha'haim, suggests a slightly different explanation. Just before the Amida service in Shaharit and Arbit, we recall the miracle of the splitting of the sea, and the song of praise sung by Beneh Yisrael after the miracle. We emphasize the fact that the entire nation sang this song of praise in unison ("Yahad Kulam Hodu Ve'himlichu…"). At Minha, too, we recite just before the Amida the verse, "Vi'barech Kol Basar Shem Kodsho" ("All flesh shall bless His holy Name" – Tehilim 145:21), emphasizing the fact that all people join together in praising God. We therefore turn to each other before beginning the Amida as an expression of this theme of joint, collective praise for the Almighty. It should be noted that during Minha and Arbit, these gestures should be made not immediately before the Amida, but rather during the Kaddish, as one answers "Yeheh Shemeh Rabba Mebarach…" This is as opposed to Shaharit, when one should make the gestures just before he begins the Amida prayer. Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in his Halichot Olam, writes that when gesturing during "Yeheh Shemeh Rabba" one must ensure not to become so preoccupied with gesturing that he does not properly concentrate on what he says. Even while gesturing, one should make a point to concentrate on the words of "Yeheh Shemeh Rabba…" Summary: The Sephardic custom is to gesture with one's hands three times to the right and then three times to the left before beginning the Amida. At Shaharit, this is done just before one begins the Amida, and during Minha and Arbit one gestures while reciting "Yeheh Shemeh Rabba" during the Kaddish before the Amida.

The Rebbe advises completing Mishnayot by the end of Kaddish and a tractate on the yahrzeit. He permits visiting the father's grave while keeping distance from the mother's. For prayers at graves, he suggests consulting local Rabbanim and blesses the recipient with success in Torah and Yirat Shamayim. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/004_igros_kodesh/adar/917

1)     What is the meaning of מעין הברכות, said on Shabbos eve?[1]2)    My mechutan and I share the same first name. Is that an issue?[2]3)    Four seminary girls agreed to go jeeping together on a day off and to share the cost. One girl fell ill and pulled out. Does she still have to pay her share?[3]4)    A boy was born on the 30th of Adar 1. His Barmitzvah isin a regular year, but which day?[4]5)    We have two men wishing to have Maftir this Shabbos [Zochor], but only one Baal Korei. Could we take another Sefer Torah to a side room just for Maftir, thus enabling two Maftirim? [5]6)    At Shacharis, the 10th man left during Chazoras haShatz.Does the Chazan say the half-Kaddish as well the KaddishTiskabel?[6]7)    What is the source for the Chabad custom to recite Morning Brochos at home, unlike the general Ashkenaz custom – to recite those brochos in Shul?[7]8)   When leining megillah for others after having fulfilled the mitzvah of megillah for oneself: should the reader make the brochos on behalf of the listeners? If the listeners say the brocho, should the nusach of the brocho change to lishmoa megilla? [8]9)    What should be done about the brocho shehechyonu?10)  Feedback on Jewish name that became obsolete:[9]https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9764852268?omn=89886673325Index to previous Panorama Shiurim: PanoramaIndex 2 - Google DocsNext Shiur: Thursday 20th Adar (20thMarch) 8:30 – 9:30.[1] בסדור 'שילמורא' פירש כעין ברכות מ א: "בכל יום ויום תן לו מעין ברכותיו". הכפלת מעין'מודים' בברכה זו – כתב שם שהוא כנגד 'מודים דרבנן'.[2] צוואת ר' יהודההחסיד אות כד. שלחן מנחם ח"ו סי' לב. וראה שבח הנישואין עמ' 92.[3] אמרי יעקב (על שוע"רחו"מ דיני שאלה סכ"א) בביאורים, ע' רסא; פסקי המשפט סי' שלג אות ב.[4] במשנ"ב סי' תקסחס"ק מב כתב לענין יארצייט שיעשה בל' שבט. אבל בשו"ת אגרות משה(יו"ד ג קנט) כתב: ר"ח ניסן. ולענין בר-מצוה, במשנ"ב מהדורת 'דרשו'(סי' נה מס' 57) הובאו דעות שונות ושראוי להחמיר בכל ענין.[5] פסקי תשובותסרפ"ד אות ב ואות ו כתב שזה אפשרי ומציין לאג"מ ח"אסק"ב.  [6] ראה שו"ע סי' נהס"ג בהגה; משנ"ב שם סקי"ט; שוע"ר שם ס"ה. והשואל טעהבהבנת לשון המקור בשו"ת תרומת הדשן סי' טו.[7] כן נהג האריז"ל (שערהכוונות ע' ג; כף החיים סי' ו סק"ג). וכן מרומז בסדור אדה"ז לפני 'מהטובו'. [8] ראהנתיבים בשדה השליחות ח"ב פט"ז סעיפים ה-ו. [9] יומן ר' נ"י). 

The Rebbe advises sincere regret and commitment to improvement, recommending study of Torah, Tehillim, and Zohar, carefulness in Kaddish, and inspiring Jewish children. He requests updates on progress and yeshiva studies. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/004_igros_kodesh/teves/853

The Rebbe marks the end of the 11-month Kaddish for the Previous Rebbe, noting it signals a new stage of spiritual elevation. He urges Chassidim to strengthen their connection by reflecting on their progress and deepening their commitment to his directives. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/004_igros_kodesh/teves/851

The Kaddish - Saying It After Learning In The Yeshivah by Rabbi Avi Harari

Gemilut Chasadim is one of the mitzvot for which Hashem rewards us in both this world and the next. It is so precious to Hashem when we go out of our way to help others. The Chafetz Chaim writes in his sefer Ahavat Chesed that after 120 years, when a person stands in judgment before Hashem, he will see that most of the mitzvot he performed were not done with all the required halachic details. However, if he was a ba'al chesed in this world, Hashem will judge him with chesed as well. Even if he doesn't fully deserve it, his mitzvot will be accepted, and he will receive their full reward. Gemilut Chasadim is not only about giving money—it is about giving time and energy. Whenever we go out of our way to help someone, we should be mindful that we are fulfilling the mitzva of Gemilut Chasadim . And no matter what, we always gain from it. A man, whom we'll call Reuven, shared the following story: In 2013, Reuven was living in an apartment with about $7,000 in his bank account. One Sunday morning, he received a call from someone asking if he could help make a minyan for a person who needed to say Kaddish . At first, his yetzer hara tried to convince him otherwise. "It's raining outside, it's cold, I'm sure they'll find someone else." But he overcame the struggle and went to join the minyan . After tefillah , the man who had asked him to come thanked him and mentioned that he was getting involved in something called Bitcoin. Reuven had never heard of it before. The man encouraged him to buy one coin. At the time, the price was $50 per coin. Reuven listened to his advice and bought one. Very quickly, the price doubled to $100. Excited, Reuven called the man to thank him. The man told him, "Buy more. I'm certain it will keep going up." Following his advice, Reuven bought more coins—and as the price rose, he kept buying. Today, his Bitcoin holdings are worth millions, with each coin valued at around $100,000. Of course, in the Next World , his act of helping someone make a minyan will be worth infinitely more than millions of Bitcoins. But he is also happy to have seen a side benefit from the good deed he did. Sometimes we are asked to help others, and we don't think we can. But Hashem is interested in the effort , not just the results. If He wants the person to be helped, He will bless the efforts. A real estate developer, whom we'll call Shimon, shared his own experience: One day, he received a request from someone who needed an urgent appointment at the Cleveland Clinic. The waiting list for this particular appointment was extremely long. Shimon was very involved in helping people, but this time he felt he had no connections at the Cleveland Clinic. He initially told the person that he didn't think he could help. But after hanging up the phone, he told himself, "I have to at least try." He searched for a list of hospital contacts and decided to call the vice president. The secretary answered, and Shimon introduced himself. Thirty seconds later, the vice president was on the line. "Are you Shimon Cohen, the real estate developer?" the man asked. Shimon replied, "Yes." The vice president continued, "I've been on a waiting list to get a condo in one of your buildings in Florida. I heard there are only a couple of units left, and multiple people are trying to get the last one." Shimon told him, "Let me see what I can do for you." The vice president then asked why Shimon had called him. Shimon explained that he had a friend who urgently needed an appointment at the hospital. The vice president immediately replied, "Consider it done. You help me, and I'll help you." Afterward, Shimon reflected, "What were the odds that the one person I called would be someone who needed my help at that exact moment?" Because Shimon had a sincere desire to help, Hashem orchestrated the zechut for him to do so. Every effort we make to help others is precious to Hashem. And the more chesed we do, the more chesed Hashem grants us in return.

B"H The Jewish people are eternal, always choosing life as our spiritual mission. The Kaddish prayer reminds us to sanctify God's name through how we live, not just how we remember. May we see a world of light, not loss, and God's name exalted for all. To watch Torah Thoughts in video format, click HERE Subscribe to the Torah Thoughts BLOG for exclusive written content! Please like, share and subscribe wherever you find this!

I still remember the day my grandfather shared a profound lesson with me about managing anger, drawing from the timeless wisdom of Jewish teachings. His words, echoing the insights from "Orchos Tzaddikim" (Ways of the Righteous), painted anger not just as a mere emotion but as a disease of the soul that can unravel personal peace and tear apart relationships. Through this episode, we navigate the intricate paths of mastering anger, uncovering how this volatile emotion is equated with evil and even linked to purgatory within Jewish texts. Through personal stories and spiritual teachings, we discuss the importance of empathy, forgiveness, and the remarkable tradition of reciting Kaddish, as shared through a touching anecdote about my grandfather.As the conversation unfolds, we explore the detrimental effects of anger, not only on our spiritual and mental well-being but also on our interactions with others. Anger, often rooted in arrogance and wounded pride, can lead to irrational behavior and potential sin, as illustrated through the story of a frustrated driver who repeatedly rammed their car. We also emphasize the importance of how charity is given, highlighting that generosity is not merely about the monetary value but the spirit in which it is offered. Throughout the episode, we reflect on the teachings of the Mishnah, underscoring the value of patience and calmness, especially for those guiding others, and the broader social consequences of unchecked anger.The journey continues with a focus on forgiveness and personal transformation. We highlight the power of letting go of grudges and choosing happiness over being right, particularly in relationships. By sharing stories of turning hurt into prayer and the remarkable outcomes from unwavering faith, we showcase the transformative potential of aligning oneself with divine intentions. Through the lens of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter's teachings, we emphasize that real change starts within, impacting not just ourselves but our communities and the world at large. Join us on this inspiring exploration of mastering anger and fostering spiritual growth, where faith and resilience lead to extraordinary outcomes._____________This series on Orchos Tzadikim/Ways of the Righteous is produced in partnership with Hachzek.Join the revolution of daily Mussar study at hachzek.com.We are using the Treasure of Life edition of the Orchos Tzadikkim (Published by Feldheim)Recorded from a live audience presentation in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studios (B) in Houston, Texas on January 6, 2025.Released as Podcast on February 20, 2025_____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe:NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.orgPlease visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#Anger, #Relationships, #Forgiveness, #Self-Control, #Patience, #Calmness, #Serenity, #Acceptance ★ Support this podcast ★

I still remember the day my grandfather shared a profound lesson with me about managing anger, drawing from the timeless wisdom of Jewish teachings. His words, echoing the insights from "Orchos Tzaddikim" (Ways of the Righteous), painted anger not just as a mere emotion but as a disease of the soul that can unravel personal peace and tear apart relationships. Through this episode, we navigate the intricate paths of mastering anger, uncovering how this volatile emotion is equated with evil and even linked to purgatory within Jewish texts. Through personal stories and spiritual teachings, we discuss the importance of empathy, forgiveness, and the remarkable tradition of reciting Kaddish, as shared through a touching anecdote about my grandfather.As the conversation unfolds, we explore the detrimental effects of anger, not only on our spiritual and mental well-being but also on our interactions with others. Anger, often rooted in arrogance and wounded pride, can lead to irrational behavior and potential sin, as illustrated through the story of a frustrated driver who repeatedly rammed their car. We also emphasize the importance of how charity is given, highlighting that generosity is not merely about the monetary value but the spirit in which it is offered. Throughout the episode, we reflect on the teachings of the Mishnah, underscoring the value of patience and calmness, especially for those guiding others, and the broader social consequences of unchecked anger.The journey continues with a focus on forgiveness and personal transformation. We highlight the power of letting go of grudges and choosing happiness over being right, particularly in relationships. By sharing stories of turning hurt into prayer and the remarkable outcomes from unwavering faith, we showcase the transformative potential of aligning oneself with divine intentions. Through the lens of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter's teachings, we emphasize that real change starts within, impacting not just ourselves but our communities and the world at large. Join us on this inspiring exploration of mastering anger and fostering spiritual growth, where faith and resilience lead to extraordinary outcomes._____________This series on Orchos Tzadikim/Ways of the Righteous is produced in partnership with Hachzek.Join the revolution of daily Mussar study at hachzek.com.We are using the Treasure of Life edition of the Orchos Tzadikkim (Published by Feldheim)Recorded from a live audience presentation in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studios (B) in Houston, Texas on January 6, 2025.Released as Podcast on February 20, 2025_____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe:NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.orgPlease visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#Anger, #Relationships, #Forgiveness, #Self-Control, #Patience, #Calmness, #Serenity, #Acceptance ★ Support this podcast ★

התוכן בעריכת "יאָרצייט" ישנו דבר והיפוכו: זה מביע את האמונה המוחלטת בנצחיות הנשמה, שהרי תוכנה – לימוד תורה ונתינת צדקה לזכות הנשמה, למרות שעברה שנה או יותר מאז שעזבה את העולם הזה [וכמדובר כמ"פ שאין צורך לענין האמונה כדי להבין שהנשמה היא נצחית, אלא כל אדם נורלמלי מבין את זה. ואין זה אלא שהקישור שלה עם הגוף הוא בלתי נצחי]. ומצד שני נוהגים בו לומר "קדיש" – "יתגדל ויתקדש שמי' רבא", היינו שיש כאן ענין של הגדלה והוספה, שקשור עם עליית הנשמה מעולם לעולם. הכח לענין ההגדלה, שבנשמה הנצחיית יפעלו ענין של "יתגדל וכו'" – הוא ע"י ענין השלום, שתוכנו חיבור הפכיים (וכדאיתא בגמ' שכאשר "עלה משה למרום" וה' שאל אותו "אין שלום בעירך" ("אין דרך ליתן שלום במקומך")? הגיב משה "ועתה יגדל נא כח אדני'". שטענת ה' למשה היתה שהי' עליו להביא את ה"שלום" ש"בעירך" ל"מרום", שזהו"ע "הגדלה").משיחת יום ג' פ' ברכה, וא"ו תשרי ה'תשד"מ ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=20-02-2025 Synopsis A yahrzeit contains an inherent paradox: on the one hand, it expresses faith in the soul's eternity, because we study Torah and give tzedakah etc. in the soul's merit, even though years may have passed since the soul departed this world. (As discussed many times, the soul's eternity doesn't need to be taken on faith; any reasonable person understands it. Only the soul's connection with the body isn't eternal.) But on the other hand, on a yahrtzeit one says Kaddish, “May His great name be magnified and sanctified,” implying growth and elevation, associated with the soul's ascent from world to world. The power to magnify the eternal soul etc. comes about through peace, which is the union of opposites. (As the Gemara says, when Moshe ascended on high, Hashem asked him, “Is there no peace in your city?” (I.e., do people not greet each other in your city?) Moshe replied, “Now may the power of Hashem be magnified”. Hashem expected Moshe to bring “peace” from “your city” into heaven, which is the “magnification.”Excerpt from sichah of Tuesday, parashas Vezos Habracha, 6 Tishrei 5744. For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=20-02-2025

Who Gets to Say the Kaddish After LainingSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/ten-minute-halacha/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

If three people ate together, and two of them forgot that they needed to conduct a Zimun, and recited the first three words of Birkat Ha'mazon – "Baruch Ata Hashem" – before realizing their mistake, it is questionable whether or not they should continue reciting Birkat Ha'mazon. Seemingly, they should be able to correct their mistake by reciting the words "Lamedeni Hukecha," such that they would have recited the complete verse in Tehillim, "Baruch Ata Hashem Lamedeni Hukecha." This strategy is used when a person begins reciting a Beracha which he is not supposed to recite, and realizes his mistake after reciting the words "Baruch Ata Hashem." In order to avoid reciting a "Beracha Le'batala" (Beracha in vain), he should recite the words "Lamedeni Hukecha" so that he will have recited a verse from Tehillim, and not an unwarranted Beracha. It would appear that this strategy can also be used by people who mistakenly began reciting Birkat Ha'mazon before a Zimun. They can, seemingly, correct their mistake by reciting "Lamedeni Hukecha" so that they will not be considered as having begun Birkat Ha'mazon, and thus a Zimun can still be recited. However, the validity of this course of action depends on a question raised – and left unresolved – by the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Vayakhel. He addresses the case of one who began reciting the Amida for Minha, and after reciting the first three words – "Baruch Ata Hashem" – he heard Kaddish being recited. The question becomes whether he should recite "Lamedeni Hukecha" so that he will be considered as having not yet begun the Amida and thus can respond to Kaddish. While at first there seems to be no reason not to allow this, the Ben Ish Hai is uncertain, as it is possible that the recitation of "Lamedeni Hukecha" was instituted as a solution only to avoid a "Beracha Le'batala." In a case where there is no "Beracha Le'batala" at stake, and one wants to discontinue the Beracha he had begun so that he can perform a different Misva – such as answering Kaddish – it is questionable whether it is proper to discontinue one's Beracha by reciting "Lamedeni Hukecha." (The Ben Ish Hai does say, however, that if one heard Kaddish after reciting "Adon-nai Sefatai Tiftah…" before beginning "Baruch Ata Hashem," then he can answer Kaddish and then begin the Amida anew afterward.) This question of the Ben Ish Hai is relevant also in the case of people who began reciting Birkat Ha'mazon and then realized that they need to recite a Zimun. It is uncertain whether they should recite "Lamedeni Hukecha" so a Zimun can be recited, or simply continue with Birkat Ha'mazon without a Zimun. Summary: If people began reciting Birkat Ha'mazon without conducting a Zimun, and they realized their mistake after reciting the words "Baruch Ata Hashem," it is uncertain whether they should discontinue Birkat Ha'mazon by reciting the words "Lamedeni Hukecha," or simply continue with Birkat Ha'mazon without a Zimun.

“To be a Jew is to know that because of who we are, because of our historical experience, we care for the other. This is really one of the great tensions of our moment. Of how to be eyes wide open to Israel's need for self-defense, and at the same time recognize the real suffering that's going on in Gaza and to know that we need to find a way to hold both of those together.” Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, spiritual leader of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York, explores the complexities of Jewish identity in a post-October 7th world in his new book, For Such a Time As This: On Being Jewish Today. In this conversation, he unpacks the tension between Israel's need for self-defense and the suffering experienced by Gazans and Israelis and the challenge of balancing empathy with vigilance. He also shares his personal journey to the rabbinate and what it means to live as a Jew in this pivotal moment. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.  Sign up for AJC Global Forum: Register at AJC.org/GlobalForum2025 for the premier global Jewish advocacy conference of the year, in New York City, April 27-29 2025 Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. People of the Pod:  The Oldest Holocaust Survivor Siblings: A Tale of Family, Survival, and Hope Israeli Hostages Freed: Inside the Emotional Reunions, High-Stakes Negotiations, and What's Next Bring Them Home: Understanding the Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal and Its Impact Pack One Bag: Stanley Tucci and David Modigliani Uncover His Jewish Family's Escape from Fascism and Antisemitism in 1930s Italy Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Conversation with Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:  Josh Kramer: AJC Global Forum is returning to New York City, April 27 to 29th 2025. I'm Josh Kramer. AJC New York Regional Director, and I hope to see you there. You won't want to miss this opportunity to join with more than 2000 other activists and engage in thought provoking discussions on the future of the Jewish people, Israel, America, and the world.  Our program will feature large plenary sessions with headline speakers, smaller breakout sessions designed to explore the key political, strategic and social concerns affecting the global Jewish community, and exclusive opportunities to engage with diplomats, decision makers, interfaith partners, community leaders and more.  Will you be in the room? Register today at AJC.org/GlobalForum2025 to take part in the premier global Jewish advocacy conference of the year. Now is the time to join AJC in shaping a new future. Head to AJC.org/GlobalForum2025. Manya Brachear Pashman:   I've done quite a bit of soul searching in the 15 months since October 7. How do I grapple with the tragedy in Israel and Gaza and the hatred Jews face on American soil without scaring my children away from Judaism?  Then came our Temple's Purim spiel last spring. That story of Queen Esther's bravery, in some ways, helped. It was about that same time that Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, the spiritual leader at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York, picked up his pen and began to write his latest book, named for a line in Queen Esther's tale – For Such a Time As This: On Being Jewish Today. Rabbi Cosgrove is with us now. Rabbi, welcome to People of the Pod. Elliot Cosgrove:   Thank you. It's great to be here.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   So I have to tell you, rehearsals began for this year's Purim spiel as I was reading this book, which made it all the more powerful. What inspired you to write this? Elliot Cosgrove:   Well, for me, I draw wisdom from text, and I was trying to think of what would be an analogous moment for what we were going through as American Jews from the ancient text.  And for me, as you say, this is now on the cusp of Purim 2025, it was the story of Esther that we read. And in many of our synagogues, we have Purim spiels, where we act out the story, which is basically the story of a Jewish community of ancient Shushan who believed themselves to have it good, that they were comfortable in the diaspora. And the wicked decree of Haman came down and Esther, whose name actually means to hide, she hid herself, her Jewish identity in the king's palace, and believed that she was comfortable there.  When the decree came down, Mordechai, her uncle, by way of an emissary, sent a message to her. “Don't think yourself to be safe from Haman's decree. Who knows, if it was not for such a time as this that you've arrived at your station.” And I saw this as really the calling card of our moment that we all felt ourselves in the wake of October 7, Esther-like called to action. The trauma of October 7, but also the call to action, to step up to the moment, the needs of our people. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Tell us about your writing process. Elliot Cosgrove:   I buried myself in my writing from before dawn until mid-morning, and then I would hit a wall. And I didn't take a sabbatical. I actually went into my day job as a congregational rabbi. It was a very intense writing process and then in the course of about three to four months sent the manuscript off to the publisher. Manya, the thing about the book is it was very disorienting to write as the events were playing out, both in Israel and in the States. And one of the worries that I had that I spoke to the publisher about was, well, what if this becomes dated? You know, it was not journalism, but I was writing as the news was happening, and the good news and the bad news is that the themes that I pick up on: the trauma of Israel, the blurred line between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, how we balance empathy and vigilance, the question of the hostages, of thinking about a day after for Israel and the Palestinians, these questions are not only still relevant, but they're actually more pressing than ever. So unfortunately, the themes that I hit on in the book, very much present right now. Manya Brachear Pashman:   How did that writing process help you personally process what you were witnessing and experiencing as a Jew in America? Elliot Cosgrove:   I'll say this, that as a rabbi, I often see my job–someone calls, they've just gotten bad news in the hospital, a loved one has passed away. Or a happy thing, that their child has just gotten engaged, or they themselves have just become new parents. And people turn to clergy to get the first line of constructing the narrative of what it is they are experiencing.  And for me, there is something deeply personal and deeply pastoral about this book, because I feel like it's seeking, hopefully, to give the language to American Jews as to how to construct this new reality of a post October 7 existence, the jumble of emotions, of trauma, but also the emergence of Jewish identity, the likes of which we've never seen before, the argument for continued defense of Israel's right to self determination, as well as an assurance that the traumas of October 7 never happen again. And in the same breath to think actively about what does the day after look like. I think we're all searching for language for these and other tensions of our moment, and I'm hoping that the book is sort of a vocabulary builder for our time. Manya Brachear Pashman:   One word that you used many times in the book, and it stuck with me, just because maybe it's one of my favorite words, and that is empathy. And you used it in different chapters, different contexts. And I'm curious if you could share with the audience the role of empathy and how it is a guiding force, how it has been a guiding force since October 7. Elliot Cosgrove:   Empathy, both its presence and its absence, has been a subplot of this moment, because I think empathy is ingrained into the Jewish DNA. You open up the Passover Haggadah, and on the one hand, we know that we are vigilant against every generation a pharaoh arises to destroy us. We are guards up. We are a people who knows the importance of ancient hatreds, of being vigilant against them, and also the ring of fire that Israel sits in by way of Iran and its proxies.  I mean, Israel's in a very tight spot, and American Jewry is in a very tight spot. And at the same time, empathy is who we are. You were once a stranger in a strange land. Therefore you should know the heart of a stranger. To be a Jew is to know that because of who we are, because of our historical experience, we care for the other. And I think that this is really one of the great tensions of our moment of how to, you know, be eyes wide open to Israel's need to self defense, and at the same time recognize the real suffering that's going on in Gaza and and to know that we need to find a way to hold both of those together. That Israel needs to fight this war as if there's no tomorrow, and Israel has to fight this war with an eye to tomorrow, with the same ferocity that it prosecutes this war, it has to pursue a day after plan. And I think that somewhere along the way, it's the voices on the extremes who are speaking with the loudest megaphones. And the goal of this moment is to realize that we need to find a way to embrace both.  I think it was Fitzgerald who said the test of a great mind is the ability to hold two opposing ideas and retain the ability to function. I think the test of the Jewish community right now is the ability to hold both vigilance and empathy at the same time and retain the ability to move forward with hope. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And how can empathy help here on American soil, where we're facing protesters, we're facing all kinds of opposition and questions and hatred because of what's happening overseas. How do we use empathy here on American soil? Elliot Cosgrove:   First of all, it's hard. It's hard. When you are under attack, the last thing anyone wants to do is feel someone else's pain. When someone is calling me a colonialist oppressor, when someone is calling for the destruction of the Jewish state, something which is part and parcel to my identity, core to my very being – my initial instinct is not to inquire into how they feel and have empathy. My initial instinct is to have shields of self-defense, prioritize the needs of my people over anyone else's. I think that's a human thing to do.  And as long as the hostages are hostages, as long as Israel stands in a vulnerable position, I think we need to be eyes wide open to that, and then we need to breathe, and we need to remember what it means to be a Jew.  And we need to remember that it takes two to tango, and that if we are going to create a future whereby Jews and Palestinians can live side by side in safety and self determination, then we need to realize that there are two peoples worthy of realizing that dream, and that requires empathy, Manya. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You were not always that religious or observant of your religious tradition. Can you tell our audience how you became a rabbi? Elliot Cosgrove:   How long do we have? This is a big question, but, look as with any way we construct our realities and tell our origin stories, there are a million ways to tell it. The truth of the matter is, I am the grandson of a congregational rabbi, an orthodox rabbi. So to say that I had somehow strayed from the path is a little bit of an overstatement. But I will say that I grew up in a traditional Jewish background. I'm very proud of the home I grew up in, but when I went off to college, it was very much something I did, Judaism was something I did at home. And I can't say that my first few years at my alma mater at University of Michigan were known by way of my religious affiliations and commitments. And then I got a phone call my junior year of college, that a figure from my youth, a grandfather figure I never really knew. My grandparents had passed away, and he was a guy who used to sit next to us in synagogue and slip me up peppermint candy as the rabbi was about to start the sermon or come over for Passover Seders or Shabbat dinner, Mr. Gendun, and he had passed away. And I got the phone call. I said, What would Mr. Gendun want me to do? And I thought, maybe I'll say Kaddish.  So I called one of my Jewishy friends. I had never been inside the Hillel building up until that moment. And I called up one of my Jewishy friends and I said, What's, where's the Hillel? And they said, you're an idiot, Elliot. It's this huge building right on campus at Michigan. And I went in and I said my Kaddish, and I was getting up like it was the end of an airplane ride just to run back out to whatever my evening plans were.  And a man stood between me and the door, boxing me out, and I was trying to shimmy one way and the other. And he said, I notice you've never been here before. And he said, Well, I'm wondering if you'd like to come to Shabbat dinner. And I lied, truth be told, because I figure he didn't want to know about dollar pitcher night. And I said, I already have Shabbat plans. And he said, Well, do you have Shabbat plans next week? And I was caught in my tracks, and I said, No, and before I could say another word, he said, Good, then you'll come over for Shabbat dinner.  And that man was Michael Brooks, who was the Hillel Director of the Michigan Hillel. I went over to Shabbat dinner. I got involved in the Israel group. I was an editor of the student journal. I sat on the Hillel governing board. One thing led to the other, and I became a rabbi. But important [as] that story is obviously in my own religious formation and choice of vocation, is how it informs my own life and my own rabbinate. It's that ability to look around the room when you're in a class, a Jewish event, a service, and who's the person who looks a little out of place like they might have been there for the very first time, and just do that small human act of reaching out to them, and whether you're going to invite them to Shabbat dinner or not, but just to acknowledge their humanity, that has been the north star of my rabbinate ever since. We're all just human beings looking for a place to hang our hats. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You talk about empathy. I think empathy caught my attention every time you mentioned it in the book, because I think it's so key to journalism. It's such an important component of it. And then I think hospitality is such an important component to Judaism and to congregational life, Elliot Cosgrove:   Absolutely. Hospitality is something that is key to our text at the beginning of the Passover Seder. But hospitality is also a spiritual demeanor that we welcome people into our souls, into our presence, into our life. Hachnasat Orchim in Hebrew, this idea that there's always space within our souls, within our hearts.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Having had such an important turning point on a university campus, how did you interact with, council, university students during this time, as they were facing such pressures and such opposition, crushing opposition during this past year and a half? Elliot Cosgrove:   So there's a chapter about that in the book. It's really the part of the book that I think has struck a nerve, and appropriately so, because I'm the father of four college age or thereabouts children.  And that story I tell about Maya, and Maya is a young woman who, I joke, shares half a brain with my own college age daughter. She's grown up in my household, and she is what you or I might identify as a non Zionist Gen zer, and she approached me and perhaps reproached me for having a Israeli flag on the pulpit, for doing the prayer for the State of Israel in the midst of the service, and said, you know, and she grew up in the Jewish Day School. She grew up going to Jewish summer camp. She did gap year programs in Israel.  Not a small amount of money has been invested in the Mayas of the world, and she herself is asking whether or not her liberal, American Jewish self can be simpatico with the policies of this or that Israeli government, because they don't speak for her sensibility. And to this question of empathy, I think the first move one makes in any such situation is to try to understand where the other person is coming from.  And I think a 21, 22, 23 year old is coming of age in a moment of time where the only Prime Minister they know of is Bibi Netanyahu, who either is or is beholden to the most right-wing elements of Israeli society. The only policies they know of the Israeli government are an expansionist policy in the West Bank, which has precluded the possibility of a two state solution. The only paradigm they have is an Israel which is a Goliath to the Palestinian David, this is their reality.  You can't blame someone for the time into which they are born. I can pick apart and engage in a dialog on what's true and what's not true. But to tell someone that their reality is not, their reality is is not, you know, a move that one can make. And by the way, if they're during the time of the judicial reform, and to this day, there are 1000s of Israelis marching on the streets on a Saturday night protesting the Israeli government as an expression of their love of country.  To tell the Mayas of the world, a college age student today, that they are treif, they are beyond the bounds of Jewish discourse, for doing the exact same thing is just an argument that doesn't hold water anymore. And so the the the goal here, Manya, is to engage with their questions, to listen intently, to prompt that young mind to come up with their own answers for the defense and the well being of the Jewish people, given the harsh realities that Israel faces, and also to make room for their very real question. So I look long on the Maya generation. It's actually a controversial moment within the organized Jewish community –do we write them off, do we not write them off? I think they're our future, and I think we do terrible damage to ourselves if we write them off. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Because it is such a time as this. We have to pay attention to the context, right, and to where we are in history, without losing sight of history. Elliot Cosgrove:   Look, it's very easy to take pot shots from the left and from the right. You know where this brave space is. The brave space is standing in the middle and dignifying the claims and counterclaims of both sides, and knowing that real leadership is trying to keep our people together. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Your book does such a beautiful job of inspiring that sense, sparking those, those right emotions in my head. So thank you so much for writing it. And I encourage all of our listeners to pick up a copy of Rabbi Cosgrove's book–For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today. It is full of challenges, and I think that the challenge is worth facing and taking on. Thank you. Elliot Cosgrove:   Thank you so much, Manya.

The Kaddish - Saying It If Both Parents Are Alive by Rabbi Avi Harari

Shabbat VaYehi 2024: And Kaddish For All by Rabbi Aaron Flanzraich

The mourner's Kaddish is the Jewish prayer for the dead. In this program, originally broadcast on the BBC World Service, he looks at the origins of Kaddish, its changing use over the years and into the present and discusses saying Kaddish for Jewish dead at Auschwitz on the 80th anniversary of the camp's liberation.

For 469 days, ever since October 7, every morning, and every evening, at our daily minyan, we pray for the IDF, that God should guard and protect Israel's courageous and heroic soldiers. We pray that God return our hostages safely to their families. We say Mourner's Kaddish as a community, as part of am Yisrael, for Israel's fallen soldiers. Occasionally, somebody will ask: how much longer? How much longer will we offer these prayers? No one knows for sure, but the general answer has to be something like: We will keep praying for the IDF for as long as Israel is at war. We will keep praying for the hostages as long as the hostages are stuck in Gaza. And we will keep saying Kaddish as long as soldiers keep dying in combat. Just this week, 5 more IDF soldiers were killed in northern Gaza. If you read the article in the Times of Israel, it just breaks your heart. You see pictures of these five idealistic, noble, beautiful young people. So incredibly, heartbreakingly young: Cpt. Yair Yakov Shushan, 23; Staff Sgt. Yahav Hadar, 20. Staff Sgt. Guy Karmiel, 20; Yoaf Feffer, 19; Aviel Wiseman, 20. Fifteen months later all that young beautiful life snuffed out. How could we not say Kaddish for them? The larger point is: it is all so murky—and sad. When will it end? How will it end? How will Israel and Israelis be at the end? All so murky. And then this week, news of the ceasefire and hostage deal. I want to offer three questions. First, what is a lens through which we can see this murky deal in this murky war? Second, when we apply that lens to the facts before us, what do we think, and how does it make us feel? Third, what do we do?

Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust survivor, once told Michael Goldfarb of people going to their deaths at Auschwitz asking who will say Kaddish for me? Kaddish is the Jewish prayer for the dead. On the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz' liberation Michael Goldfarb explores the origins and meaning of Kaddish. How did a prayer for the dead, in which death is not mentioned, become the centrepiece of Jewish mourning?

The Kaddish - Saying "Tishbehata" or "Tushbehata" by Rabbi Avi Harari

The Kaddish - How Many Men Need To Respond? by Rabbi Avi Harari

The Kaddish - The Response of "Yehei Shemei..." by Rabbi Avi Harari

1)    Please address the opening of the Oron Kodesh to Jewish or non-Jewish visitors:[1] 2)    Does a blind person have the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah?[2] 3)    I like to make a fruit-drink with berries. I have a jug that will pour the drink whilst retaining the berries. May this jug be used on Shabbos?[3] 4)    A woman repaired the shirt she tore kriah with when her mother died. Is she allowed to use that shirt?[4] 5)    Is there a known explanation why we alternate hands when washing Negel Vasser?[5] 6)    Are Dagim egg-rolls Mezonos or HaMoitzie?[6] 7)    We have a very tight minyan for Maariv bizmano. Sometimes we have just six men davening, plus some others who've davened earlier. One of our six davens much slower than the rest of us. Do we have to wait for him to finish before saying Kaddish?[7] 8)    Are disposable cups acceptable for Kiddush? [8] 9)    When visiting Iceland I see the Northern Lights night after night. Do I saw the brocho עושה מעשה בראשית each night?[9] 10)  Candelabra that has seven lamps?[10] 11)  Does the name Bethel have kedusha?[11] [1] קפידה מלמעלה על חזקיהו המלך – מלכים- פ"כ; ספר חסידים סי' תקלג; שו"ת יביע אומר יו"ד ח"ג סי' טו (שם מתיר רק מפני האיבה); נתיבים בשדה השליחות ח"ב סי' טז (ע' 266 ואילך). על הבאת ס"ת לקראת מלך – ראה חינוך מצוה שעט. [2] למגן אברהם סו"ס תרעה בשם רש"ל, מדליק בברכה. בשע"ת שם, מהיעב"ץ במור וקציעה, שלא יברך. וכן פסק בקצש"ע. [3] ראה שבת כהלכה ח"ב פי"ב סי"ט. [4] בשו"ע יו"ד סי' שמ סט"ו מזהה שני רבדים בתיקון קרע: שולל, מאחה. הראשון, תפרים לא שווים. השני, תפירה שווה. קרע על הורה "אינו מאחה לעולם". [5] דין הנטילה בסירוגין – בשוע"ר [מהדו"ק] סי' ד ס"ד, עפ"ד האריז"ל. באלי' רבה (שם אות ה) מעדיף ליטול ג"פ רצופים. להעיר מהמבואר ב'רשימות' נג על תהליך ההרחבה בקורות על פתח האולם. [6] מפורש להיתר בשוע"ר סי' רפד ס"ח. [7] קדיש זה ניתקן "אחר תפלת ערבית, שכבר נשלמה התפלה" (שוע"ר ר"ס נה). מסתבר שצ"ל "גמר התפלה" של רוב הצבור. [8] בשוע"ר סי' קפג הביא שצ"ל 'חי' = שלם. וא"כ לא די בהיותו כלי, אלא צ"ל שלם כו'. בימי בחרותי נשלחתי מהגרזש"ד ז"ל לקנות כוסות פלסטיק בשיעור 4 אונס, לקידוש שערך בשמע"צ. להמליץ כוסות של זכוכית. וזה יחסוך בשערורי' של המקדשים על יי"ש, שמלוא כוס של יי"ש עולה כי כמה כוסות. וראה קונטרס 'משקה' – גם באנגלית - מהר' דניאל שי' גולדברג (נ"י תשמ"ד). [9] ראה סדר ברכת הנהנין סוף פי"ג.. אם הם נראים מדי ליל, אולי לדמות לרואה ים הגדול וכו', שמברך רק אחר ל' יום שלא ראה. [10] ראה יו"ד סי' קמא ס"ח. [11] באלי' רבה סי' קמב סק"ג נקיט שאין בו קדושה, הובא בפתחי תשובה יו"ד סי' רעו ס"ק יד.

The Kaddish - Saying It Before Hodu or Barukh SheAmar by Rabbi Avi Harari

The Kaddish - Answering "Yehei Shemei Rabah" With Kavanah by Rabbi Avi Harari

The Kaddish - "Nehamata" by Rabbi Avi Harari

The Kaddish - "Berikh Hu" by Rabbi Avi Harari

There is an obligation to recite the entire Hallel service on each of the eight days of Hanukah. This obligation applies regardless of whether one prays privately or with a Minyan; in either case, one is required to recite Hallel. Before reciting Hallel, one recites the Beracha, "…Asher Kideshanu Be'misvotav Ve'sivanu Li'gmor Et Ha'Hallel," and after the recitation, one recites the concluding Beracha of "Yehalelucha." If one mistakenly recited the "half-Hallel" on Hanukah – meaning, he omitted the sections of Hallel that are not recited during Hallel on Rosh Hodesh – then he must repeat the Hallel. However, he does not recite a Beracha before or after his repetition of Hallel. Women are exempt from the obligation of Hallel. Even though they are included in the obligation of the Hanukah candle lighting, they are nevertheless exempt from the Hallel obligation, just as they are not required to recite Hallel on the Yamim Tobim (Pesah, Shavuot and Sukkot). A woman who wishes to recite the complete Hallel on Hanukah may certainly do so, but she should not recite the Berachot before or after the Hallel. One may not make any interruptions during the recitation of Hallel. One should not speak at all during Hallel, or use any gadgets – such as cell phones or Tablets – during Hallel. (Of course, one should not be using these gadgets at any point during the prayer service, as this is very disrespectful to the service.) However, if a person hears somebody recite a Beracha while he recites Hallel, he should answer "Amen" to the Beracha. Likewise, one may respond to Kaddish, Kedusha or Barechu during the Hallel recitation. It occasionally happens that the congregation completes Hallel and the Hazzan begins Kaddish before some congregants completed Hallel. They may interrupt their recitation of Hallel in order to answer to Kaddish. It is interesting to note that there is a verse in the Torah which alludes to the twenty-one days when we recite the complete Hallel. The Torah writes that before the flood, "Shenayim Shenayim Ba'u El Noah" ("two of each [animal] came to Noah" – Bereshit 7:9). The first word, "Shenayim" ("two"), alludes to the first two days of Pesah, when Diaspora communities recite the complete Hallel (as opposed to the other days of Pesah, when the half-Hallel is recited). The second "Shenayim" alludes to the two days of Shabuot, and the word "Ba'u" ("they came") has the numerical value of nine, referring to the nine days of Sukkot, Shemini Aseret and Simhat Torah. Finally, Noah's name in the phrase "El Noah" may be read as an acronym for the phrase "Ner Hanukah," thus alluding to the eight days of Hanukah, when we recite the full Hallel. Summary: Men are obligated to recite the complete Hallel on each day of Hanukah; women who wish to recite Hallel may do so, but without the Berachot. One who mistakenly recited "half-Hallel" on Hanukah must recite the whole Hallel, but without the Berachot. One may not make any interruptions during the Hallel recitation, except to answer "Amen" to a Beracha, or to respond to Kaddish, Kedusha or Barechu.

The Kaddish - "VeYassmah Purkanei ViKarev Meshihei" by Rabbi Avi Harari

The Kaddish - When to Say "Al Yisrael" by Rabbi Avi Harari

The Mourner's Kaddish - Can Women Say It? by Rabbi Avi Harari

In Siman 682, The Shulhan Aruch outlines the Halachot of inserting the special Hanukah addition of "Al Hanissim" in the Tefilot and Birkat Hamazon. One issue is whether it is permissible for the Shliah Sibbur to remind the congregation to insert "Al Hanisim" in the middle of Arbit. Does announcing "Al Hanisim", after the Kaddish before the Amidah, constitute a Hefsek (interruption) of the Tefila? In Siman 236:2, Maran rules that it is permissible to do so for "Ya'aleh V'Yavo" on Rosh Hodesh. The Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) there adds that this applies to "Al Hanisim" on Hanukah as well. The Ner Sion, agrees with this, according to the letter of the law, since it is done "L'sorekh Tefila"-for the purpose of prayer, it is not considered a Hefsek (interruption). The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) in Parashat Pekudeh brings down that this was the custom of some communities. However, the accepted custom is not to announce "Al Hanisim," but rather, the first person to reach "Al Hanisim" in the silent Amidah raises his voice to remind the rest of the congregation. If one forgot to insert "Al Hanisim" in the Amidah, he is not required to repeat the Amidah. The Poskim discuss whether it is better to skip "Al Hanisim" in order to complete the Amidah in time to recite the "Nakdishach," which according to some authorities is a fulfillment of the Torah obligation to sanctify God's name. Their conclusion is that one should continue to pray the full text of the Amidah and not skip "AL Hanisim" since that is the Misva that he is currently engaged in. If one inserted the "Al Hanisim in the wrong place, for example he said it in the beracha of "Reseh," where Ya'aleh V'Yavo is usually inserted, he must say it again in the correct place-the Beracha of "Modim." The Sha'ar Ha'siyun (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) in 682:2 rules that the insertion of "Al Hanisim" in the wrong place does not constitute a Hefsek (interruption) that would require him to repeat the entire Amidah. The Hachamim did not institute a Hanukah insertion in Beracha "Me'en Shalosh"-the Beracha after snacks, and there is much discussion as to why that is. There are numerous variant versions of the text of the "Al Hanisim." Hacham Ovadia held that it should begin "V'Al Hanisim," whereas Hacham Bension held that the custom is to say "Al Hanisim." Some have the custom to say "Bimeh Matityah," without a Vav, instead of MatityahU. Some say "Matatyah," as is written in the Siddur "Kol Yaakov." However, our custom is to say "Matityah," which is the prevailing version. Some have the reading "L'Hashkiham," instead of "Le'shakeham." Some say "Toratach," as opposed to those who say, "MiToratach." Some say "Hashmona'ee," as opposed to those who read "Hashmonai." Each person should follow his tradition. SUMMARY One should not announce "Al Hanissim" during the Tefila to remind the congregation. "Al Hanisim" should not be skipped in order to finish the Amida in time to answer Nakdishach. If one inserted "Al Hanisim" in the wrong place, he must say it again in its proper place. There are many variant versions of the text of "AL Hanisim," and everyone should follow their tradition.

The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 182) writes that Birkat Ha'mazon is Halachically equivalent to the Amida prayer, the only difference being that the Amida is reciting standing, and Birkat Ha'mazon is recited sitting. And thus, as the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) rules, one should not interrupt Birkat Ha'mazon to answer "Amen" to a Beracha, or even to respond to Kaddish, Kedusha or Barechu. However, the Ben Ish Hai adds that if one hears a congregation reciting "Modim" as he recites Birkat Ha'mazon, he should silently nod his head as the congregation bows. If he hears Kaddish, he may silently listen, but he should not answer. The Ben Ish Hai writes that these laws apply from the beginning of Birkat Ha'mazon through the end of the fourth Beracha. After the four Beracha, during the "Ha'rahaman" section, one should remain seated and recite the text with proper concentration through the very end of Birkat Ha'mazon, but one may answer "Amen" and respond to Kaddish, Kedusha and Barechu while reciting the "Ha'rahaman" section. (Technically speaking, one may converse in Torah matters during the "Ha'rahaman" section, but this should not be done in front of ignorant people who might then conclude that speaking is allowed during Birkat Ha'mazon.) The Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572) taught that ideally, one should recite Birkat Ha'mazon with his eyes closed, and with his right hand over his left hand with the thumbs tucked in the hands. Of course, if one does not know Birkat Ha'mazon by heart, then he should read it from a Siddur, and hold the Siddur if necessary. And, if one recites Birkat Ha'mazon over a cup of wine, he should hold the cup and look at it during Birkat Ha'mazon. One must sit during Birkat Ha'mazon; it should not be recited while standing or while reclining. The Shulhan Aruch brings opinions that the Beracha of Me'en Shalosh should likewise be recited while sitting, and this is also the opinion of the Ben Ish Hai and of Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in Yabia Omer (vol. 1, Orah Haim 11:14). Numerous books emphasize the great importance of reciting Birkat Ha'mazon with concentration. The Kav Ha'yashar (Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kaidanover, 1648-1712) writes that one who recites Birkat Ha'mazon with concentration will earn the privilege of hearing King David recite Birkat Ha'mazon at the meal of the Sadikim. And the Arizal, in Sha'ar Ha'misvot (listen to audio recording for precise citation), writes that one who recites Birkat Ha'mazon with concentration receives his livelihood joyfully and comfortably. Summary: While reciting the four Berachot of Birkat Ha'mazon, one may not make any interruptions, even to answer "Amen" or to respond to Kaddish, Kedusha or Barechu. During the "Ha'rahaman" section, one may interrupt for these responses. Birkat Ha'mazon should be recited sitting and with concentration, and one who does not need a Siddur and is not holding a cup of wine during Birkat Ha'mazon should recite the text with his eyes closed and with his right hand over his left hand, and the thumbs tucked into the hands.

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:How should we react to the downfall of President Assad in Syria?  Is this a positive move forward?  Should we be celebrating or should we be concerned?  What are its greater, cosmic implications?  What does the Midrash predict about the fall of Syria?  What does this chapter teach us about today's world events?  What does Jacob and Esau's reconciliation tell us about the conflicts between the West and the East, and the future?  What are the implications of Esau marrying Ishmael's daughter?  Was Jacob the true first born?  Why did the birthright and blessings have to be channeled through Jacob though they belonged to Esau?   Why was Jacob silent when he heard that Dinah was violated?  Did he approve of Shimeon and Levi's vengeance on Shechem?  How do we abolish harsh decrees?  After the tragedy in UAE how do we deal with doubts in the promises given to us?  What was unique about the Mitteler Rebbe?  Why is the Mitteler Rebbe associated with Binah?  What differentiated between the geulah of the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe?  Why is he called the Mitteler Rebbe, even after we have seven Rebbes?  What is the background behind the sefer Pokeach Ivrim?  What is the story of the Mitteler Rebbe suggesting the use of joy to abolish a harsh decree?  How is that different than the saying of omein yehei shmei rabba?  Was there more emphasis on simcha in the times of the Mitteler Rebbe than in the other generations of the Rebbeim?  Should we name our newborn boy, whose bris is on Tes Kislev, Dovber or Hamnuna?  Why did the Rebbe say Kaddish on Yud Kislev?