New Passover Haggadah-- Az Nashir

 

I couldn't resist this new Az Nashir Haggadah for many reasons. One important reason is that many of my friends were involved in writing and editing it, including my favorite teachers in Matan.

Just a warning, it's a big beautiful volume that may not fit easily on the table, but it's worth making the effort. I'd suggest trying to read some of the articles before the Seder. How about on Shabbat Hagadol? Lots of people make a point of preparing/studying for Passover, and using your Az Nashir Haggadah would be a very good idea. 

I, davka, ended up reading the poems and articles the day after the Seder... They're written in all sorts of styles, covering a wide variety of topics. That makes it so much more interesting than other Haggadot. And, no, I didn't manage to read them all.

If a few friends have the Haggadah, I'd recommend using it as the text for a group pre-Pesach study group. Each session study a different article or two. For example:

Rachel Sharansky Danziger, Rabbanit Yael Leibowitz, Dr. Tanya White, Ruti Eastman, Chaya Bina-Katz, Toby Klein Greenwald, Shulie Mishkin, Rabbanit Shani Taragin, Dr. Yael Ziegler and more...

From what I understand, the first printing was sold out, so now's the time to order your copy for next year. And don't forget the other Az Nashir books. Click here for ordering information.

Back To Matan- Life's Getting "Normal"

Last week I was back at Matan for one of the pre-Rosh Hashana learning mornings Yom Iyun. I didn't do the entire program of a few days, but Wednesday worked out perfectly for me.

I have been studying Tanach/Bible in Matan for years. I love the approach of the teachers there.

Some students were home or wherever via Zoom, but there were plenty of us in the auditorium. It was so wonderful to return to my favorite studies and see teachers and friends in person.

There were three classes. One by Yael Ziegler, one by Shani Taragin and the last by Yael Leibowitz. They were all excellent. In order to attend in person, we had to show our "green passport," or whatever you want to call it. And we all had to wear masks. Only the teachers took theirs off to teach.

My friends and I are looking forward to the resumption of regular classes. There's a limit how long we can maintain isolation. Besides my formal Matan studies, I'm part of a study group, yes Bible, and we've covered a lot of material this past year and a half, since we meet on zoom more frequently than we used to meet in person.

I don't know if life will ever really go back to what it once was, at least for us senior citizens. We must consider this the "new normal."

What Did Yitro Hear? Who's Today's Yitro?

I must give this week's Women's Shabbat Class "Shiur." Somehow I had volunteered to be responsible for providing words of Torah every few months. This is to give a needed monthly break to the neighbor who has the difficult task of finding someone each week. Our group started over thirty-eight years ago as a Women's Shabbat Torah Class every Shabbat. Considering how many Tanach, Bible courses I've taken in Matan and prior to that my participation in a weekly Women's Learning "Boker Limud" here in Shiloh, you'd think this a "piece of cake" for me. Gd blessed me with the ability/talent to teach anything I know, but I always feel challenged when I have to teach Tanach to my well-educated neighbors who grew up learning it in their native Hebrew. But for some inexplicable reason, they consider me capable of teaching them something new.

Since last week, Parshat Shavua, Weekly Torah Portion Yitro, I keep thinking about the reactions of other religions and people to what has been happening to the Jewish People since the mid-twentieth century, specifically the miraculous Establishment of the State of Israel and the equally miraculous victories in 1967 and 1973. This is my lifetime. I was born just a year after the State of Israel. I came of age with the liberation of our Biblical Homeland and has been living in Holy Shiloh for almost forty years.

Even more than being in the front row of Jewish History, I guess I'm a participant, albeit a "bit player."

Shmot- Exodus 18
וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע יִתְר֨וֹ כֹהֵ֤ן מִדְיָן֙ חֹתֵ֣ן מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֵת֩ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ לְמֹשֶׁ֔ה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַמּ֑וֹ כִּֽי־הוֹצִ֧יא יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
Jethro priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the LORD had brought Israel out from Egypt.

I plan on showing that this is happening right now. People of all religions are coming here to Israel to learn from us. I see it in Shiloh, which has an active archeological dig where recent discoveries are proving the Biblical narratives correct.

Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh,
Biblical Shiloh

Also for decades delegations have been coming to Israel to learn various technologies, from high tech to low tech. Koreans are convinced that Talmud learning is good for the mind and come here to learn. Christian scholars are admitting that their theology is faulty, then subsequently convert to Judaism. Noahide groups now exist and more examples. 

I'm requesting your ideas of examples, showing how "modern Yitro's" have heard what has happened to the Jewish People and are subsequently coming to join and help us, like in the days of Moses, Moshe Rabbeinu. Thanks. Please answer in the comments.

in Matan

Matan, 5780, 2019-2020, Spectacular Start

Matan, Jerusalem, 30 Rashbag Street

Yesterday I and hundreds of others began the  5780, 2019-2020 study year in Matan. (There are other courses in Hebrew and English which began on Sunday, but the ones I take are on Wednesday.) I've been treating myself to year long and special event courses and classes in Matan for over a decade already. My weekly schedule revolves around my Matan studies and Tanach/Bible chevruta, study group.

Dr. Yael Ziegler, on the stage
and Malka Bina, founder of Matan
greeting the students

By the time Yael Ziegler began her
lecture every seat was taken, and
women sat on the stairs.

The Matan student body is an amazing group of women, and some men in the English language courses. As you can see in the photos of the audiences/student body, many are senior citizens/retirees, even older than me, but there are also quite a few youngsters. And my two favorite teachers are young enough to be my daughters. Not only have I made new friends in Matan, but I'm studying with women I've known since we were teenagers.

Yael Liebowitz, somehow I didn't
catch her smiling

Like many others who had crowded into the Matan auditorium, I choose my courses by teachers. We sign up religiously for the two Yaels, regardless of the course titles. And to be perfectly honest, we haven't been disappointed yet. Both gave spellbinding, gevaldik, spectacular opening lectures.

Yael Liebowitz's student body
has been growing every year.

These are the Matan courses I'm taking this year. I've already officially signed up and paid.

Creation, Un-creation and Re-creation Bresishit 1-11 by Dr. Yael Ziegler
Making Sense of Biblical Dichotomies and Simultaneous Truths by Yael Leibowitz

There are other excellent teachers and courses on other days and in branches of Matan all over the country. Yael Liebowitz is giving the same course in a few other branches, if you're interested and can't get to Jerusalem on Wednesdays.

I hope you can join us studying in Matan, highly recommended.

Pre-Yom Kippur Yom Iyyun in Matan

I attended a very inspiring Pre-Yom Kippur Yom Iyyun in Matan on Monday. It certainly whet my appetite to sign up for classes, as I've done for the past few years.

Join us!

Wonderful Learning at Matan

I had an offer I couldn't refuse yesterday.  A neighbor said that she'd be going to Matan for their Fast of the 17th of Tamuz program. Now, even though I prefer spending my fast days dozing and lounging around... I just had to go, especially since some of my favorite Tanach, Bible teachers were teaching.

Yael Liebowitz teaching in a packed classroom

There were three sessions of classes from 8:45 until 1pm, with a choice of Hebrew or English. The Hebrew classes were in the auditorium, and the English were in a large classroom. But the classroom wasn't large enough.

We squeezed in for Yael Liebowitz, who is one of my favorite Matan teachers. I have been taking her courses for a few years.

Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

Afterwards we moved to the larger Beit Medrash, Study Hall to hear Rabbi Menachem Leibtag, and that, too, filled completely. Matan definitely needs more space!

Leibtag spoke the same time that very popular speaker Racheli Fraenkel was lecturing in Hebrew. Some of those who attended Leibowitz's talk went down to the auditorium, but many more started their day at 10:15 with Leibtag. That's why the Beit Medrash was so full.

I am glad that I stayed upstairs to hear Leibtag, because he filled in many of the gaps in my basic knowledge of the history that parallels the Tanach narrative.

Every teacher has a different way of presenting the same material. I really didn't mind that both those lectures discussed and clarified the almost "mantra" which says that the First Holy Temple was destroyed because of "idol worship," and the Second Temple was destroyed because of "baseless hatred."  Apparently, both types of sins were rampant before both Temples were destroyed. Things weren't so simple. During Leibowiz's lecture, she mentioned that עבודה זרה avodah zarah, isn't really idol worship. It's more an incorrect attitude towards Gd and other religions. Even giving legitimacy to another religion, equating it as a legitimate/equal choice is forbidden. Also claiming non-Jewish values as Jewish is forbidden. That reminded me of how Gd punished/killed the sons of Aaron the Priest, because they worshiped in the Holy Tabernacle with an אש זרה aish zarah, strange/foreign fire.

For the third lecture I went down to the auditorium to hear Taphat Halperin in Hebrew. I've been studying with Taphat this past year in the Senior Citizens Program in Ofra Girls High School. She, davka, quoted from many of the same bible verses as Leibtag.

By then I was pretty tired, due to the fast and not sleeping all that much the night before. So I must admit that I wasn't up to taking notes. Gd willing my mind will find a way to process it all. Some of what she said was familiar, since the course in Ofra is also about the period between the two Temples, the exile and return.

From when I first started taking Tanach courses, here in Shiloh, I've said that it's like trying to assemble a puzzle that has thousands and thousands of pieces. Just connected a couple here and there is a great accomplishment.

I must thank everyone, Matan, the lecturers and my neighbor who took me, for a wonderful morning of learning.

PS Yes, I highly recommend studying in Matan, and if you're too far away, sign up for their online lectures.

Nothing's New, All in the Bible/Tanach

I didn't get much of a Jewish education growing up. My parents weren't religious, so besides occasionally remembering to light the Chanukah Menorah and having the traditional, though shortened Passover Seder and a rare Friday night when my mother lit Shabbat candles, we did know we were Jewish...

We were always shul (synagogue) members. When we lived in Bayside, NY, we were founding members of the Conservative Oakland Jewish Center, which has since closed for business. Then when we moved to Great Neck, NY, we joined the Orthodox Great Neck Synagogue, though the choice of Orthodox wasn't for theological reasons. Even though I'm a graduate of the OJC Hebrew School, I didn't learn much, certainly not much  Bible/Tanach. And then later as an active member of NCSY I learned living Judaism, not Bible/Tanach.

All the Bible/Tanach I know has been learned as an adult, and not when I was younger. Sometimes when I'm in a class, whether with hundreds of others in Matan, or the small senior citizens class in Ofra, I see so many parallels and similarities between what happened to the Jewish People thousands of years ago and today. It's really mind-boggling to think about it.

As in Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, written by King Solomon, it has all happened before. Human nature, our intelligence and foibles haven't changed at all. In recent years I've been studying Ezra-Nehemiah, the time between the First and Second Temples, when the Jewish People returned in part from exile. The controversies, debates and problems of that time were so similar to today's among the Jewish People. That includes the controversy over "Who's a Jew?"

I have no doubt that we are in an era of Biblical significance, and Gd willing we will do what must be done to truly bring the Moshiach. We need leadership to fully build and develop the Jewish State of Israel. Build for Jews and BUILD THE HOLY TEMPLE!

Yom Zikaron, Memorial Day in Matan

Yesterday, Wednesday was my regular study day in Matan. Yesterday was also Israel's Memorial Day in which we stop everything we're doing when the siren goes off at 11am to mark the fact that Jews were murdered.

The custom in Matan is to have a small ceremony in which all the staff and students gather. After the siren, prayers are said, and a few people speak about personal and national memories of those killed. This year a close friend spoke of two friends of ours who had been killed during the 1973 Yom Kippur War and its aftermath, Eli and Chuck.

Here in Israel Memorial Ceremonies are always very personal. We all knew/know someone who had been killed, seriously injured or is one of the "official" bereaved. The longer we're here the more chance that we had been touched even more closely. There's no way for us to avoid this reality. Death and mourning aren't hidden in Israeli society.

Following are a few pictures from the Matan Memorial Ceremony, 5778, 2018.

Afterwards we sang Hatikvah and Ani Ma'amin. And then we resumed our studies...

Preparing for Passover/Pesach at Matan, 5778, 2018

This year Matan's Pre-Pesach Learning in English was on Monday. I slept over in Jerusalem the night before, so I wouldn't have to get up ridiculously early and then find myself dozing through the lectures. That gave me an opportunity to see my Jerusalem kids and my newest grandchild, ken yirbu.

As you can see from the pictures, the auditorium was packed. They had to bring in extra chairs.

At 9am, we started with Dr. Yael Ziegler, who as usual kept us totally spellbound. She discussed the similaries between the סנה, the Burning Bush, and הר סיני, Mount Sinai. There's also a linguistic connection between the two, which I hadn't noticed before. I've been taking her classes for years. She's incomparable.

Then, after a short break, we heard Dr. Aviva Gottleib Zornberg, who discussed the Biblical narrative of the Exodus from Egypt.

The program ended with Dr. Avigail Rock, who discussed different aspects of our Exodus from Egypt.

The classes/lectures were all so amazing that I had no trouble staying alert and awake for the four hours of the program. If you'd like to hear those lectures and others, click on the Matan Online website. Matan records most of its classes, and any which don't have an icon of a "lock" can be heard by the general public. For a reasonable fee, you can sign up to hear all of the locked classes, too. I'm looking forward to resuming my regular study schedule after Passover.

Looking Forward to This Year in Matan

I've lost track of how many years and courses I've studied in Matan. As much as I've grown from the experiences, Matan has grown, too. Now, besides the Jerusalem study center, 30 Rashbag Street, there are quite a number of branches.

Matan Branches

Matan Hasharon- The Mindy Greenberg Women´s Institute for Torah Studies

Matan Hashmonaim

Kochav Yair

Netanya

Petach Tikva

Zichron Yaakov

Bet-Shemesh

If I had a car, I could try out the others, but I'm sticking with Jerusalem, since there are teachers and continuing courses I don't want to miss. Also, I'm part of a study group which meets in Jerusalem.



The studies in Matan are just what I like. It was begun by intelligent educated women, and we are treated  as such. Give it a try.

Déjà Vu, Like in The Days Of "Judges"

My chevruta, study partners, and I are repeating Matan's Al Haperek program in which we learn Na"Ch, meaning the Prophets and Writings Sections of the Bible. We enjoyed It so much when the program was running that we decided to repeat it on our own. We finished Joshua and now we're up to Shoftim, Book of Judges.

Learning the Bible puts a very good perspective on today's political situation here in Israel. Certain things get repetitive. I'm not talking about the sins here. I'm talking about conquering the Land. We notice that some cities end up being conquered more than once. Apropos to the fact that we're a half a century, yes a full fifty years, since the miraculous 1967 Six Days War, way back when the Jewish People had to reconquer Land, meaning go to war again for a very simple reason.

Conquering is one thing, but it doesn't change facts on the ground unless you keep the mitzvah of yishuv ha"Aretz, live in the Land, build homes, cities, plant vineyards etc. That's part of  being sovereign.

Unfortunately, successive Israeli Governments have intentionally left most of the Land we liberated in 1967 judenrein, empty of Jews. In addition it hasn't been fully annexed and made part of sovereign Israel. That's why we're under diplomatic and terrorist attack.

It's not enough to have a miraculous victory of Biblical proportions. We must use the Land for the good of the Jewish People. Gd willing, speedily in our days...

Why do we relegate ourselves to the  Kotel?

Shiloh celebrating 40 years

Ancient Biblical Shiloh

Ancient Biblical Shiloh

Never Too Late to Learn Bible, Tanach

I've been enjoying the past few years, since I've had my Wednesdays free to attend classes in Matan and study Bible, Tanach. Having come from a regular American public school education, I knew very little Bible, Tanach.  I did attend an after school Hebrew School in our local synagogue, Oakland Jewish Center, Bayside, NY,  for five years, but there wasn't much we could really learn six hours a week. And I don't remember all that much. We certainly didn't learn the Bible as a text the way I enjoy as an adult.

There was a period of time when here in Shiloh we had classes one morning a week in Bible, Tanach and other related subjects. I attended and enjoyed them greatly. It was my first serious taste of Bible, Tanach on an adult level. The studies were in Hebrew taught by a variety of local teachers, especially Rabbi Nissan Ben-Avraham, who ended up teaching most classes before the program closed.

During that time, for a number of years there were weekly classes, first in Eli and towards the end in Shiloh for women in English. The program had begun during some difficult period, maybe Oslo, when various Jewish communities throughout the world adopted communities in YESHA. Eli was adopted by Har Nof, and their rabbi, Rabbi Shalom Gold, his wife Baila and neighbor Rabbi David Stahl came to Eli weekly to teach men and women.

Here I am with Rabbanit Malke Bina, founder of Matan.

By the time I finished teaching EFL English in the yeshiva high school in Beit El, I needed to find something to stimulate my mind and soul. A number of people recommended Matan. The first course I took there was a Study-Tour program based on the Prophets. In some ways I enjoyed it greatly, but the truth is that it was very frustrating. That's because my basic Bible knowledge was horrendously poor. I knew absolutely nothing about the Biblical Prophets and Kings, so the lectures were beyond me.

One of the lecturers was Dr. Yael Ziegler, and two years later I returned to Matan to take her course, which had begun a few years before. We just finished all of the Book of Kings. The division into two books, isn't a Jewish tradition. And last week we had a celebratory Siyum for the final chapter in Kings.

I was one of the speakers, and this is what I said:

Yael, even after seven years of "every Wednesday" classes here in Matan, I'm definitely not the most veteran of the group, but I'm pretty sure that what I'm going to say is what all of us feel, whether more or less veteran than myself. 

Apologies to Ruth, Great-Grandmother of King David:

Where you teach, we will follow… 

What you teach we will study… 

Your Bible is Our Bible

Your choice of Book is ours, too.

Ad me'ah v'esrim, blessings and good health to you, your family and all of us in here Matan. Thank you

I am not the oldest of the class for sure, and this class fills the auditorium. We are of all ages and backgrounds. Some of us have a Jewish education even weaker than my own, while others had been teachers in Jewish Schools, even Tanach teachers. There are members of the class who have been studying with Yael ever since she began in Matan. And every year more women join us. 

We all value the opportunity to enrich our knowledge of the Bible and stimulate our minds. I wish to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in Matan, from its very beginnings to now and the future. For so many of us, Wednesday, or whatever days we have classes is the best and most important day/s of the week. 

Gd willing may we enjoy many more years learning together.

Jewish Women, We've "come a long way, baby"

As I posted yesterday, this week I attended Matan's Pre-Passover Yom Iyyun, Education Day. I don't know whom I heard mentioning something very significant which resonates greatly. During those three fascinating and inspiring lectures, not once did anyone mention:

• cooking
• cleaning
• customs like kitniyot

Just a few years ago, and maybe still at some venues, these so-called "women's topics" may still get some play. But today's modern, educated Torah Observant woman looks for spiritual and theological inspiration before Passover, not more recipes and cleaning advice. And the inspiration we crave isn't the "predigested" kind, it's intellectual based on the Bible and traditional Jewish commentators. We are expected to think, and not about color schemes and table-settings. 

And the overcrowded Matan auditorium also had quite a few men sitting in the audience, as you can see.  

Another thing is that there were items for sale just outside the auditorium, but they weren't jewelry, tablecloths, scarves or hats. They were a large selection of books from Pomeranz Books for added inspiration and inclusion at the Passover Seder. I bought my grandkids the "Harry Potter" Haggadah, which was one of the big sellers, as many participants had the same idea I did. I didn't notice any cookbooks, but then, again, I'm not in the market for any. Today I spoke to Pomeranz who said that besides The Hogwarts Haggadah, the big sellers were Passover books by Erica Brown and Rabbi David Fohrman.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Kasher V'Sameach!