Lag ba'Omer and Israel means mainly one thing to me: fire.
The custom of lighting bonfires may have mystical roots. Lag ba'Omer is observed as the yahrtzeit (death anniversary) of the second-century sage Rabbi Shimon bar-Yochai. Legend has it that, prior to his death, Bar Yochai revealed all of his mystical secrets. Thus the bonfires: the light of Bar Yochai is not extinguished.
Rabbi Josh Feigelson serves as Educational Director for Ask Big Questions, a national initiative of Hillel to promote civil dialogue on campuses throughout North America. He is a doctoral student in the Department of Religious Studies at Northwestern University, focusing on the intersection of American Jews and American higher education. From 2005-2011 Josh served as Campus Rabbi at Northwestern Hillel, and currently serves as a spiritual leader of the Evanston Orthodox Minyan. He is an alumnus of Yale University and was ordained by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. Josh blogs about Jewish life and education at www.rabbijosh.com
Anyone who has recently visited an Israeli Purim costume store will soon realize that Purim is not just for little kids but rather, a reason or ‘excuse’ for people, of all ages and orientations, to dress up and express their inner-selves in the weirdest and most elaborate ways.
Before founding NU Campaign and setting off to turn Jewish youth worldwide into global ambassadors for Israel, David Kramer worked in informal Jewish education, non-profit management and business, both in Israel and abroad. David was a head-advisor for the Division of Informal Jewish Education, for the South African Jewish Board of Education and founded the Israel Information Department at the South African Jewish Board of Deputies. He was also Camp Director for the largest Jewish summer camp in the Southern hemisphere. In 2002, David made Aliya and served as a combat soldier in the IDF. In Israel, he has worked for the Jewish Agency, the World Union of Jewish Students and was a founding partner in Segwayz.com. David has a Bachellor of Commerce degree from the University of South Africa. He is married to Tova and they live in Jerusalem with their three children.
Perhaps the first question should be: “Why is there no Presidents Day in the U.S.?” Despite popular convention, the holiday that we will celebrate in the U.S. this week is officially Washington’s Birthday. In 1968, Robert McClory, a congressman from Illinois, proposed a Bill, which would consolidate Lincoln’s Birthday and Washington’s birthday into one federal holiday. The Bill never passed, but advertisers and some state legislatures have pushed the name “Presidents Day” as both more representative of all of our great presidents, and somehow easier to sell cars and appliances.
Adam Stewart has been involved with Israel education and teen travel experiences for fifteen years and is the Director of the Goodman Camping Initiative. Adam has taught at the Newberry Library Center for Public Programs and Loyola University Chicago, has lectured on topics in Jewish history and culture, and has served as an educational consultant to a variety of Jewish organizations.
Tu b’Shevat has become so synonymous with environmentalism these days that we can forget the origins of the holiday. The Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 1:1) tells us that there are four “new years:”
Rabbi Josh Feigelson serves as Educational Director for Ask Big Questions, a national initiative of Hillel to promote civil dialogue on campuses throughout North America. He is a doctoral student in the Department of Religious Studies at Northwestern University, focusing on the intersection of American Jews and American higher education. From 2005-2011 Josh served as Campus Rabbi at Northwestern Hillel, and currently serves as a spiritual leader of the Evanston Orthodox Minyan. He is an alumnus of Yale University and was ordained by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. Josh blogs about Jewish life and education at www.rabbijosh.com
There are many challenges faced by those of us who work full time in Jewish education; the lack of family commitment, the limited hours we have with students, and, perhaps toughest of all, convincing Jewish children who live in the Midwest that spring is coming in February! Tu B’shvat may in fact be the harbinger of Spring in the Jewish homeland but for those of us who greet each day with boots and a shovel, hardly.
Lori B. Sagarin has served as the Director of Congregational Learning at Temple Beth Israel in Skokie, Illinois for fifteen years. She is the former president of the National Association of Temple Educators (NATE), and is also past president of the Chicago Association of Temple Educators. Lori and her husband, Rabbi James Sagarin, are co-authors of Oseh Shalom, published by the URJ press. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin and received a Masters degree in Jewish Education with the designation of Reform Jewish Educator (RJE) from Hebrew Union College.
Aryeh Halivni is the founder and director of Toldot Yisrael, a Jerusalem based nonprofit dedicated to recording and sharing the firsthand testimonies of the men and women who helped found the State of Israel. Over 500 video interviews have been conducted with those who were involved during the pre-State struggle and the momentous events of 1948. Our aim is to conduct hundreds more over the next few years – while it is still possible.
When I stepped foot on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus as an incoming freshman, I was there to get away from the life I had been living in Baltimore.
Michael Hoffman is the CEO of See3 Communications, a consultancy that helps social change organizations tell their stories online for education, fundraising and advocacy. More at http://see3.net/
At this season wherever Jews gather the talk eventually turns to Passover. It is, according to the most recent Jewish population study, the most celebrated holiday in American Jewish life, even surpassing Hanukkah.Recently, at just such a gathering, a group of us began sharing our memories of holidays gone by...
Lori B. Sagarin has served as the Director of Congregational Learning at Temple Beth Israel in Skokie, Illinois for fifteen years. She is the former president of the National Association of Temple Educators (NATE), and is also past president of the Chicago Association of Temple Educators. Lori and her husband, Rabbi James Sagarin, are co-authors of Oseh Shalom, published by the URJ press. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin and received a Masters degree in Jewish Education with the designation of Reform Jewish Educator (RJE) from Hebrew Union College.
