Not Quite a Cop-Out: Some of my Favorite Jewish Stops on the Web
Hi all,
Well, as some of you know I’ve been a rather infrequent visitor lately, let alone contributor. Hopefully I’ll be around more frequently now. But feeling a little uninspired (writing all day at work on grant proposals will kill one’s ability to think creatively ;)), I thought I’d share some websites I like, and that I tend to visit when my neshama needs a little booster shot. Some of them are about art, some about music, others about Israel, and still more about Jewish study. I hope you enjoy at least a few of them!
David Friedman, a kabbalist, teacher, and Tzefat-based artist, produces some really beautiful work reflecting his understanding of various kabbalistic ideas. I hope to collect some of his work in the future, and his story is an interesting one. He also has some interesting teachings on his site.
Here’s a YouTube video of the Moshav Band performing the Havdalah of Rav Shlomo Carlebach. My family and I do this one every Saturday night, and I think its simplicity and beauty capture something of the soul of Judaism. The Moshav Band members grew up in Moshav Me’or Modiin, the village founded by the Rav, and their music is some of my favorite from Israel.
One of the websites that I visit with less frequency than I should, based purely on the degree to which I enjoy the content, is that of Rabbi David Seidenberg, a.k.a., NeoHasid. He offers some fantastic teachings on Torah, Hassidut, Niggunim, Liturgy, and general Yiddishkeit, all from a progressively religious lens.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi of Great Britain and the Commonwealth, is a wonderful teacher of Torah, and his commentary on the Parshat HaShavua, called “Covenant and Conversation,” is one that I will not miss. You can check out the archive, where you can also subscribe to his weekly email.
For an enormous collection of photography from one of my favorite places - Jerusalem - check out this site. I have spent hours checking out the photos on this site, and anyone who has spent time in Jerusalem and longs to be there again will enjoy this little rest stop on the information superhighway.
The Conservative Movement offers some nice resources for daily study, including their Perek Yomi program, which takes you through the entire Tanakh, one chapter per day (hence the name). Another resource they offer is Mishnah Yomit, which you can probably guess leads you through one mishna per day, the goal being the completion of one order of Mishna each year, and the entire Mishna in six.
So, have a look at these, and let me know if you find anything you like!
kol tuv,
Yair
Hey Yair
Sorry to read that things have you bogged down lately. Yup I’ve noticed that you haven’t been around too much lately and I’ve kind of missed having you around to share your insights on things but I totally understand. Anyhow, hopefully things will loosen up for you soon.
I’ve known about David Friedman for a couple of years now and like you really enjoy his work.
Also, Tamara and I also love the Moshav and. They are our primary driving band. We always have two CDs in the car ready to go. By the way did you know that they’re now located here in Los Angeles and play regularly around the city? Unfortunately, we keep missing them and have yet to see them live but hopefully soon. Oh also, did you know at least this is what I’m told) the lead singer is the Chazzan at the Happy Minyan here in LA? We haven’t been but we hear really good things about it.
Lastly, I did know about the two Conservative programs you mentioned. I’ve checked them out and they look interesting. Are you a regular/ongoing participant in either or both of them? If so would you care to share some impressions?
Anyhow, again I hope things clear up for you soon.
Be well
Hey Avi, Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. I had a 14 1/2 hour work day today, which included over 500 miles of driving… UGH!… I had heard that the guys from Moshav were in California now, but I hadn’t heard that about the singer being the chazzan for the Happy Minyan (which I bet is a great gathering!). Let me know when you get a chance to see them live. My rabbi has seen them, but nobody else in my community has that I know of. Regarding the USCJ programs… I have done parts of both, and I currently get the Mishnah Yomit page in my email. I like them, they’re pretty well done, but as with all of us, sometimes it’s a matter of prioritizing my limited amount of time for Jewish study. I was strongly familiar with the Hebrew Bible prior to my conversion though, so I think if someone isn’t then the Perek Yomi thing is a really good idea; it’s hard to really understand the development of Judaism throughout history without a good foundation in Bible; so many things build on that, like midrash, Talmud, even halakha.
kol tuv!
Yair
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