How was this Pesach Different? For generations of Jewish children, one of the highlights of the Pesach Seder has been standing on a chair and reciting the Four Questions. And yet – in the Jewish state of Israel – the concept of the Ma Nishtana does not ring a bell with many young children from …
“Go, gather together all the Jews…” (Megillat Esther, 7:16) – Celebrating Purim Together Though gourmet Hamantaschen make their appearance in the trendiest Israeli bakeries and everyone dresses up for the holiday, Purim for many Israelis has little meaning beyond face-painting or getting intoxicated. How can we connect Israelis with no interest in the synagogue to the …
Read moreYachad Jewish Identity Coordinators: “Go, gather all the Jews…”
Midreshet Lindenbaum‘s Chana and Yaakov Tilles Campus in Jerusalem was transformed into the magical world of Harry Potter before Purim. Inspired by the students’ creativity, OTS President and Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Kenneth Brander surprised everyone by appearing in the Beit Midrash disguised as up as everyone’s favorite philosophical headmaster, the wise and worldly wizard Professor Albus …
Do We Love Our Daughters Less Than They Do Theirs? This week, we mark International Aguna Day, traditionally held on Ta’anit Esther, the fast on Purim eve. (An aguna is a Jewish woman who is “chained” to her marriage.) BY KENNETH BRANDER | MARCH 13, 2019 “All the books of the prophets and all the holy …
Taanit Esther- A Plea for Balance Rabbi Yehoshua Grunstein, Director of Training and Placement for OTS’s Beren-Amiel and Straus-Amiel Emissary Programs Introduction It is a well-established custom to fast on the 13th of Adar, usually one day before Purim ,] from Dawn to Dusk. While we are used to this fast day being on the …
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
“In all of my 46 years, this was the first time I ever heard a Purim megillah reading,” says Kiryat Tivon resident Elad Alon, one of 67,482 Israelis who participated in “Megillah BaKehilla,” an initiative of Ohr Torah Stone’s Yachad Program. Through this year’s partnership with the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization, the project – which literally means “Megillah in the community” – was able to …
(Scroll down for photos) As part of this year’s “Megilla BaKehilla” initiative, OTS’s Yachad Program ran 148 community-oriented Megillah readings throughout Israel with the participation of 22,000 Israelis. Each reading was punctuated by questions and answers, singing and dancing, animated presentations and dramatic pantomime, all in an effort to make the ancient story of Esther come alive and become more accessible and understandable …
On Rosh Chodesh Adar, Ohr Torah Stone’s Jacob Sapirstein High School for Boys in Ramot, Jerusalem, ran a Purim carnival for 150 children with disabilities and limited mobility from the “Kav L’Chaim” organization. This is the ninth year in a row that the pupils have partnered with Kav L’Chaim. “We view these informal activities through …
Read moreJacob Sapirstein Students Host Children with Disabilities for Purim Carnival
Young women from the Darkaynu Program packed mishloach manot at OneFamily, to be delivered on Purim to injured and bereaved victims of terror.
