Religious Guidelines for Ohavi Zedek Synagogue Table of Contents
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TEMPLE ISRAEL OP HOLLYWOOD Preparing for Jewish Burial and Mourning
TRANSITIONS & CELEBRATIONS: Jewish Life Cycle Guides E EW A TEMPLE ISRAEL OP HOLLYWOOD Preparing for Jewish Burial and Mourning Written and compiled by Rabbi John L. Rosove Temple Israel of Hollywood INTRODUCTION The death of a loved one is so often a painful and confusing time for members of the family and dear friends. It is our hope that this “Guide” will assist you in planning the funeral as well as offer helpful information on our centuries-old Jewish burial and mourning practices. Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary (“Hillside”) has served the Southern California Jewish Community for more than seven decades and we encourage you to contact them if you need assistance at the time of need or pre-need (310.641.0707 - hillsidememorial.org). CONTENTS Pre-need preparations .................................................................................. 3 Selecting a grave, arranging for family plots ................................................. 3 Contacting clergy .......................................................................................... 3 Contacting the Mortuary and arranging for the funeral ................................. 3 Preparation of the body ................................................................................ 3 Someone to watch over the body .................................................................. 3 The timing of the funeral ............................................................................... 3 The casket and dressing the deceased for burial .......................................... -
TRANSGENDER JEWS and HALAKHAH1 Rabbi Leonard A
TRANSGENDER JEWS AND HALAKHAH1 Rabbi Leonard A. Sharzer MD This teshuvah was adopted by the CJLS on June 7, 2017, by a vote of 11 in favor, 8 abstaining. Members voting in favor: Rabbis Aaron Alexander, Pamela Barmash, Elliot Dorff, Susan Grossman, Reuven Hammer, Jan Kaufman, Gail Labovitz, Amy Levin, Daniel Nevins, Avram Reisner, and Iscah Waldman. Members abstaining: Rabbis Noah Bickart, Baruch Frydman- Kohl, Joshua Heller, David Hoffman, Jeremy Kalmanofsky, Jonathan Lubliner, Micah Peltz, and Paul Plotkin. שאלות 1. What are the appropriate rituals for conversion to Judaism of transgender individuals? 2. What are the appropriate rituals for solemnizing a marriage in which one or both parties are transgender? 3. How is the marriage of a transgender person (which was entered into before transition) to be dissolved (after transition). 4. Are there any requirements for continuing a marriage entered into before transition after one of the partners transitions? 5. Are hormonal therapy and gender confirming surgery permissible for people with gender dysphoria? 6. Are trans men permitted to become pregnant? 7. How must healthcare professionals interact with transgender people? 8. Who should prepare the body of a transgender person for burial? 9. Are preoperative2 trans men obligated for tohorat ha-mishpahah? 10. Are preoperative trans women obligated for brit milah? 11. At what point in the process of transition is the person recognized as the new gender? 12. Is a ritual necessary to effect the transition of a trans person? The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly provides guidance in matters of halkhhah for the Conservative movement. -
A Guide to the Shabbat Morning Service at Heska Amuna Synagogue Common Terms and Phrases Adonai (Lit. Sir Or Master) – Word Th
A Guide to the Shabbat Morning Service at Heska Amuna Synagogue Common Terms and Phrases Adonai (lit. sir or master) – word that is substituted for the holiest of God’s personal names, YHVH, in Hebrew prayer. The prayer book in use at Heska Amuna translates this word as Lord. aliyah (pl. aliyot) – a Torah reading. Also, the honor of reciting the blessings for a Torah reading. The aliyot on Shabbat are: (1) Kohen (3) Shelishi (5) Hamishi (7) Shevi’i (2) Levi (4) Revi’i (6) Shishi (8) Maftir amidah – standing prayer, the central prayer of every service. Aron Kodesh (lit. holy ark) – the cabinet housing the Torah scrolls when not in use. b’racha (pl. b’rachot) – blessing. barukh hu u-varukh sh’mo (lit. praised is He and praised is His name) – the congregational response whenever the prayer leader begins a blessing with barukh attah Adonai (praised are You, Lord). At the end of the blessing, the congregation responds with amen. bimah – the raised platform at the front of the sanctuary where the Ark is located. birchot hashachar – the morning blessings, recited before the start of shacharit. chazarat hashatz (lit. repetition of the shatz) – the loud recitation of the amidah following the silent reading. chumash – the book containing the Torah and Haftarah readings. The chumash used at Heska Amuna is Etz Hayim (lit. tree of life). d’var Torah (lit. word of Torah) – a talk on topics relating to a section of the Torah. 1 gabbai (pl. gabbaim) – Two gabbaim stand at the reader’s table during the Torah reading. -
Tallit Blessing 1
TALLIT BLESSING 1. The whole family holds the tallit together 2. The BM grasps the ends of the atara (band at the top) and recites: ָבּ ְרוּך ָאַתּה יְיָ ֱאלֵֹֽהינוּ ֶֽמֶל ְך ָה ָעוֹלם, ֲא ֶשר ִקְדּ ָֽשׁנוּ ְבּ ִמְצ ָוֹתיו, וְִצוָּֽנוּ ְל ִה ְת ַעֵטּף ַבִּצּ ִיצת. Ba-ruch a-tah Adonai, Elo-hey-nu me-lech ha-olam a-sher kid-sha-nu b'mitz-vo-tav v'tzi-va-nu l'hit-a-teyf ba-tzi-tzit. 3. Everyone expect the BM lets go and the BM wraps the tallit around their shoulders. _________________________________________________ Translation: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to enwrap ourselves in Tzitzit. Background: When is a Tallit worn? Tallitot are worn primarily during day-time services. Evening services were excluded because of the biblical instruction to see the fringes. (“See” to the ancient Rabbis meant “see by daylight.”) Even today, however, the occasions for wearing and using a full tallit extend beyond Shaharit (morning) and Minha (afternoon) services. The habits and customs of donning a tallit are more complex than they might at first seem. Occasions for use include the following: For Liturgical Moments and Honors A tallit is worn for daily, Sabbath, and holiday morning and afternoon prayers. It is used for individual prayer, or prayer in a minyan (prayer quorum). As noted above, it is traditional to wear a tallit when called to the Torah for an aliyah (the honor of reciting blessings before and after the Torah is read). -
“Cliff Notes” 2021-2022 5781-5782
Jewish Day School “Cliff Notes” 2021-2022 5781-5782 A quick run-down with need-to-know info on: • Jewish holidays • Jewish language • Jewish terms related to prayer service SOURCES WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOOKLET WAS TAKEN FROM: • www.interfaithfamily.com • Living a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant with Howard Cooper FOR MORE LEARNING, YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES: • www.reformjudaism.org • www.myjewishlearning.com • Jewish Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin • The Jewish Book of Why by Alfred J. Kolatch • The Jewish Home by Daniel B. Syme • Judaism for Dummies by Rabbi Ted Falcon and David Blatner Table of Contents ABOUT THE CALENDAR 5 JEWISH HOLIDAYS Rosh haShanah 6 Yom Kippur 7 Sukkot 8 Simchat Torah 9 Chanukah 10 Tu B’Shevat 11 Purim 12 Pesach (Passover) 13 Yom haShoah 14 Yom haAtzmaut 15 Shavuot 16 Tisha B’Av 17 Shabbat 18 TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z 20 About the calendar... JEWISH TIME- For over 2,000 years, Jews have juggled two calendars. According to the secular calendar, the date changes at midnight, the week begins on Sunday, and the year starts in the winter. According to the Hebrew calendar, the day begins at sunset, the week begins on Saturday night, and the new year is celebrated in the fall. The secular, or Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar, based on the fact that it takes 365.25 days for the earth to circle the sun. With only 365 days in a year, after four years an extra day is added to February and there is a leap year. -
CCAR Journal the Reform Jewish Quarterly
CCAR Journal The Reform Jewish Quarterly Halachah and Reform Judaism Contents FROM THE EDITOR At the Gates — ohrgJc: The Redemption of Halachah . 1 A. Brian Stoller, Guest Editor ARTICLES HALACHIC THEORY What Do We Mean When We Say, “We Are Not Halachic”? . 9 Leon A. Morris Halachah in Reform Theology from Leo Baeck to Eugene B . Borowitz: Authority, Autonomy, and Covenantal Commandments . 17 Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi The CCAR Responsa Committee: A History . 40 Joan S. Friedman Reform Halachah and the Claim of Authority: From Theory to Practice and Back Again . 54 Mark Washofsky Is a Reform Shulchan Aruch Possible? . 74 Alona Lisitsa An Evolving Israeli Reform Judaism: The Roles of Halachah and Civil Religion as Seen in the Writings of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism . 92 David Ellenson and Michael Rosen Aggadic Judaism . 113 Edwin Goldberg Spring 2020 i CONTENTS Talmudic Aggadah: Illustrations, Warnings, and Counterarguments to Halachah . 120 Amy Scheinerman Halachah for Hedgehogs: Legal Interpretivism and Reform Philosophy of Halachah . 140 Benjamin C. M. Gurin The Halachic Canon as Literature: Reading for Jewish Ideas and Values . 155 Alyssa M. Gray APPLIED HALACHAH Communal Halachic Decision-Making . 174 Erica Asch Growing More Than Vegetables: A Case Study in the Use of CCAR Responsa in Planting the Tri-Faith Community Garden . 186 Deana Sussman Berezin Yoga as a Jewish Worship Practice: Chukat Hagoyim or Spiritual Innovation? . 200 Liz P. G. Hirsch and Yael Rapport Nursing in Shul: A Halachically Informed Perspective . 208 Michal Loving Can We Say Mourner’s Kaddish in Cases of Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Nefel? . 215 Jeremy R. -
A Guide to Wrapping (Laying) Tefillin
A Guide to Wrapping (Laying) Tefillin Created by Creighton J. Cohn and Jay R. Englander and provided by The Temple Israel Men’s Club 1) After putting on your tallit, get out your arm (Yad) tefillin and say: Baruch ata Ado-nai elo-heynu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu, b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’haniyach tefillin “Praised are You, Adonai our God, who rules the universe, instilling in us the holiness of mitzvot by commanding us to put on tefillin.” 2) Slide your arm tefillin up your weaker arm and tighten the loop so the box sits on the muscle of your bicep and the knot on the strap faces toward your heart. Wrap the strap once over your bicep towards you to anchor the box. 3) Wrap the strap towards you 7 times tightly, over the top of your forearm. As you wrap, count the number of wraps by using either the seven days of the week, or the verse from the Ashrei: “Potey’ach et yade’cha umas- beeah l’chol chai ratson” (7 words) then wrap the remaining strap loosely around your hand. 4) Next, hold your head (Rosh) tefillin and say: Baruch ata Ado-nai elo-heynu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu, b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al mitzvat tefillin “Praised are you Adonai, our God who rules the universe, instilling in us the holiness of mitzvot by giving us the mitzvah of tefillin.” 5) Place the head tefillin box on your head where your hairline is/was. The knot should sit in the depression at the back of your head. -
Hebrew Congregation Wedding Packet
Your Jewish Wedding Welcome Letter, Checklist for the Ceremony Background Material, Relationship Building and Communications Issues, Genetic Counseling and Medical Information, Sample Ketubah Texts, Practical Suggestions And Information Sheets What You Need To Know To Prepare For Your Wedding Ceremony Rabbi Michael L. Feshbach [email protected] Welcome Letter Kiddushin is the Hebrew word for “marriage.” It comes from the same root as kodesh, which means “holy.” Both words contain within them the implication of “sacred” as “set aside, unique, unlike anything else.” The bond we form with a life-partner is meant to be just that –the most sacred, the most special, the most exclusive and unique relationship in our lives. There were three essential ingredients in the ancient Jewish wedding ceremony: the giving and acceptance of an object of value, the signing and reading of a marriage document, and the consummation of the marriage. In Biblical times, it is said, any of these three items were enough to form a marriage; by the time of the Talmud all of them were seen as required. And the customs surrounding Jewish wedding ceremonies have continued to grow and evolve ever since that time. This packet is for you. It is meant to obtain basic information that we, the clergy, need to work with you; to give you practical guidance regarding what you will need for the ceremony; and to begin to introduce you to the rich customs and traditions associated with Jewish weddings. These pages will also serve as a springboard for a discussion of communications and relationship issues, as well as a brief presentation of some important issues in genetic counseling about which all Jewish couples should be aware. -
Calendar of Torah and Haftarah Readings 5776 – 5778 2015 – 2018
Calendar of Torah and Haftarah Readings 5776 – 5778 2015 – 2018 Calendar of Torah and Haftarah Readings 5776-5778 CONTENTS NOTES ....................................................................................................1 DATES OF FESTIVALS .............................................................................2 CALENDAR OF TORAH AND HAFTARAH READINGS 5776-5778 ............3 GLOSSARY ........................................................................................... 29 PERSONAL NOTES ............................................................................... 31 Published by: The Movement for Reform Judaism Sternberg Centre for Judaism 80 East End Road London N3 2SY [email protected] www.reformjudaism.org.uk Copyright © 2015 Movement for Reform Judaism (Version 2) Calendar of Torah and Haftarah Readings 5776-5778 Notes: The Calendar of Torah readings follows a triennial cycle whereby in the first year of the cycle the reading is selected from the first part of the parashah, in the second year from the middle, and in the third year from the last part. Alternative selections are offered each shabbat: a shorter reading (around twenty verses) and a longer one (around thirty verses). The readings are a guide and congregations may choose to read more or less from within that part of the parashah. On certain special shabbatot, a special second (or exceptionally, third) scroll reading is read in addition to the week’s portion. Haftarah readings are chosen to parallel key elements in the section of the Torah being read and therefore vary from one year in the triennial cycle to the next. Some of the suggested haftarot are from taken from k’tuvim (Writings) rather than n’vi’ivm (Prophets). When this is the case the appropriate, adapted blessings can be found on page 245 of the MRJ siddur, Seder Ha-t’fillot. This calendar follows the Biblical definition of the length of festivals. -
The Transformation of Tallitot Rebecca Shulman
9 The Transformation of Tallitot: How Jewish Prayer Shawls Have Changed Since Women Began Wearing Them By Rebecca Shulman "For some time, Frieda Birnbaum came to morning prayer at the Orthodox Lincoln Square Synagogue with a tallit* in her briefcase. She had been scared to take it out and put it on. She had been scared to buy it. ("For my nephew," she mumbled to the salesman.) Davening** alone at home, she wore the tallit. But she couldn't summon up the courage to wear it in shul and would end up “shlepping” it on the subway to her job as a computer programmer. One morning, Frieda Birnbaum said to herself: "Dammit! If I can daven in my tallit at home, I can sure as hell daven in my tallit in shul!" And she did. A friend of hers arrived, and she did too. These were the first women known to wear tallesim*** in shul in the New York area. Revolutionary heroines."1 In the early 1970s, as the women's movement was gaining strength in the United States, Jewish women were simultaneously struggling for equal rights within the Jewish community. The tallit helped to define this struggle: by putting on tallitot women loudly and visibly proclaimed themselves equal members of the Jewish community. By changing the appearance of prayer shawls -- by wearing tallitot of colorful silks, for example -- women claimed these ritual objects as their own. There has been an ongoing debate in the Jewish community about whether appropriation of male-associated rituals and objects is a fitting or useful way to demonstrate equality. -
The Four Special Shabbatot: Shekalim, Zakhor, Parah, and Hahodesh
The four special Shabbatot: Shekalim, Zakhor, Parah, and HaHodesh As Purim and Passover approach four special Torah and Haftarah readings are added to the weekly lectionary of the Torah. They are called the Arba Parshiyot (four Torah portions). The first of these Shabbatot is Shabbat Shekalim which is read on the Shabbat prior to or on Rosh Hodesh Adar or in a leap year Rosh Hodesh Adar Sheni (Second Adar). The reading is of the census in the Wilderness of Sinai conducted by Moses by means of each Israeli giving a half- Shekel and the counting the Shekalim. ((Shemot 30:11-16). In later times the Shekalim were used for the purchase of the communal sacrifice offered morning and evening. The second Shabbat is Zakhor (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) it is read on the Shabbat preceding the holiday of Purim: 17) Remember what Amalek did unto you by the way as you came out of Egypt. 18) How he met you by the way, and killed your stragglers, all that were weak in your rear, when you were faint and weary: and he did not fear God. 19) Therefore it shall be, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around, in the land which the Lord your god dives you for an inheritance to possess it, that you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget. The tie-in to Purim is that in the Haftarah First Samuel 15:2-34 King Saul makes war on the Amalekites and captures their King Agag. -
Grade 7: the Jewish Life Cycle Curriculum
Grade 5: The Jewish Life Cycle Curriculum Textbooks: The Time of Our Lives: A Teen Guide to the Jewish Life Cycle (Nina Beth Cardin) Plays taken from Class Acts (Stan J. Beiner) The purpose of this course is to teach students about the stages of the life cycle, and the Jewish traditions, rituals, ceremonies, and celebrations used to mark each stage. Students will research and document life cycle events that have taken place in their own families. Active learning via guest speakers, drama, field trips, interviews, oral presentations, and art projects will be emphasized. Unit 1: Birth—4 sessions, 45 minutes each Time of Our Lives: Chapter 2, pages 12-21 Goals and Objectives: 1. Students will explore the life cycle rituals surrounding birth and naming. 2. Students will discuss what a covenant (Brit) is. 3. Students will understand the connection between Brit and circumcision (Brit Milah). 4. Students will learn about the components of the Brit Milah ceremony. 5. Students will understand what a Simchat Bat ceremony involves. 6. Students will discuss the importance and meaning of naming in Judaism. 7. Students will explain the origin and meaning of their own names in Hebrew and English, and will be able to discuss how their names connect to their family’s past. Birth Discussion Topics: -Brit -Brit Milah: Step By Step -Pidyon Ha-Ben -Simchat Bat -Adoption -What’s in a Name? Key Concepts and Personalities: -Brit (Covenant) -Elijah Key Terms: -Brit Milah -Simchat Bat -Kvater, Kvateren -Sandek -Seudat Mitzvah -Pidyon Ha-Ben -Mohel Special Activities/Projects: -Visit from a Mohel -Enact Brit Milah/Simchat Bat Ceremonies -Perform Play: “The Birth of the Jewish: An Epic Tale” -Visit Elijah’s Chair in the Temple -Art Project Using Students’ Names -Students Share Birth Certificates and Naming Documents, and Explain Meaning and Origin of their Hebrew, English, and Last Names -Start a Life Cycle poster: one event has one “square” on the page.