What would happen if every Jew around the world kept ONE SHABBAT - THE SAME SHABBAT? What would the power of such unity and collective spirituality do not just for the Jewish People, but for the entire world? Join Ruth as she speaks with Rabbi Nitzan Bergman, Executive Director of the Etz Chaim Center in Baltimore, MD, to discuss the "International Shabbat Project".
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How to Fix our Broken World
Of all the books of the Torah, Deuteronomy is considered by many to be the most spiritual. In the coming weeks, we will encounter passages which explain the true nature of God’s absolute oneness. Other verses will explain how finite beings can achieve a personal relationship with our infinite creator. However, this week’s Torah portion (Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22, focuses on something very different. Rather than launching into spiritual motifs, the beginning of the fifth book of the Torah recounts m
Zalman Kravitz
LIVING LIFE CONSCIOUSLY & MINDFULLY #2 of Torah Tools for Jewish Spiritual Growth
LIVING LIFE CONSCIOUSLY and MINDFULLY is Part #2 of TAKING IT PERSONALLY: Torah Tools for Spiritual Growth with Rabbi Michael Skobac, Educational Director of Jews for Judaism A six-part lecture series exploring ancient and modern Jewish wisdom for personal growth. Topics include cultivating awareness, patience, generosity and humility. TAKING IT PERSONALLY Torah Tools for Spiritual Growth includes: 1. THE DYNAMICS OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH Goals and Techniques 2. LIVING LIFE CONSCIOUSLY and MI
Zalman Kravitz
I Turned Down A Ticket To Heaven
I Turned Down A Ticket To Heaven While attending college, a fellow student offered me a ticket to heaven. All I had to do was “believe in Jesus,” and if not, I would go to hell. I turned down his offer and explained that Judaism requires that we believe in God and follow the commandments. King Solomon affirms this principle when he says the bottom line of Judaism is to “Be in awe of God and keep His commandments for that is the whole person” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Despite Solomon’s powerful wo
Zalman Kravitz
What Skeptics and Believers Can Learn From Noah
What Skeptics and Believers Can Learn From Noah Most people are familiar with the Torah’s story of Noah and the Ark. Whether skeptic or believer, it is interesting to know that many cultures have flood stories. One account inscribed in Sumerian on clay tablets dates to the late third millennium — B.C.E. Dozens of movies portray the story of Noah’s Ark, and some explorers claim they have discovered the ark’s remains in present-day Turkey. There is even a $100 million Christian theme park in K
Zalman Kravitz
God Is ONE — Not Two or Three
God Is ONE — Not Two or Three During the long years of exile, the Jewish people lost the Land of Israel, the Temple, the priesthood, the Davidic kingship, and sacrifices. We survived despite these temporary losses because we never abandoned the Torah with its moral, legal, and spiritual teachings. The word Torah means more than just “the law” or “Bible.” The root of the word Torah is “horah,” which means “instruction.” As it says, “to instruct [להורת–l’horot] the children of Israel”(Leviticus
Zalman Kravitz
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The War of Armageddon Is Not The Apocalypse
Sukkot and Simchat Torah The War of Armageddon Is Not The Apocalypse The Jewish High Holidays, known as the Days of Awe, constitute a spiritual progression. On Rosh Hashanah, we coronate God as our King, on Yom Kippur, we receive God’s forgiveness; and on Sukkot [the Festival of Booths], we rise to another level. Sukkot is a time to demonstrate our trust in God by moving from the safety of our homes to the temporary and less-secure dwelling known as the sukkah. In this tiny hut with its ro
Zalman Kravitz