Before anything else is said, it is important to remember that this past year was not a Shana Tova for our people. It was a year of disaster, war, worry, brutality, and growing antizionism and its twin, antisemitism. We strengthen ourselves, stand steadfast in our support of Israel, mourn the needless and wanton ending of so many holy lives, and…
In the aftermath of the attacks of October 7th, Danya and I discussed the possibility of spending Pesach in Israel. Danya has two brothers who live in Israel with their families, and we knew the coming months would be incredibly difficult. If the rest of Danya’s family planned to go to Israel, we felt we should join them, to allow…
Dear MMAE Family, Happy Spring! This is my favorite season of the year because everything good (in my opinion) is ahead of us. Good weather. The fun times of the Summer. The gradual bloom of every flower and every tree (Ah choo!). Spring is a season that feels like youth, like hope and unrealized potential. In Judaism, Springtime is actually…
Pesach is the holiday of freedom. We celebrate how our ancestors were once slaves in Egypt, and how God redeemed us with an out-stretched Arm and brought us to freedom. And if God hadn’t redeemed us, we would still be slaves today. But is it really? After all, what is this “freedom?” After all, in only a few months, we…
Dear MMAE Family, In Parshas Shemini, which we just read, the Torah commands the kohanim to refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages before they do the service in the Mishkan or Temple. The Torah goes on to explain the reason- a crucial part of the kohain’s job is to differentiate between “pure and impure, holy and unholy”. In order to differentiate,…