Author: jspunberg

(Courtesy of Michael Berg, author of “The Way”) In this week’s portion, Avraham sends his servant Eliezer to find a wife for his son, Yitzchak. […]

Rabbi Ron Shulman, Congregation Ner Tamid of South Bay, Rancho Palos Verdes, California“A Defining Moment” Yom Kippur 5762 Sermon September 27, 2001 On this Yom […]

The Kaddish evolved from a simple line of biblical praise to a liturgical formula for dividing the liturgy into its parts and for celebrating a […]

(By Rabbi Lavey Y. Derby – Director of Jewish Life – Foster City – CA – USA) In Berdichev, the wind whispers prayers as it […]

Courtesy: David J. Fine Kol Nidrei 5766 “God” The story is told of Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev, who once asked an illiterate tailor what […]

A feature which has typified Jews’ relationships to God from as far back as Abraham and Moses is that God can be argued with and […]

       Courtesy: N. Slberberg The Shabbat is called “Shabbat Chazon.” The Haftarah of this Shabbat begins with the words “Chazon Yeshayahu,” “the vision (prophecy) of Isaiah” […]

                                                               The most lovable figure in Hasidic folklore (Courtesy: Oxford University Press) Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev (d. 1810) was a rabbi and Hasidic Master. He became […]

(Courtesy: Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, Yitro 2006 – Anshe Emet Synagogue) An insight by a man who preceded Conservative Judaism, the great Hassidic master, R. Levi […]

(Courtesy: Dr. Meir Tamari) “The princes, on behalf of Israel, brought of their gold, silver, fine flour, oil and incense, and the best of their […]