Author Archives: Lisa Weinberger

What is a Siddur?

A Siddur, to simply explain, is a prayer book. During times of prayer, a Siddur is used. Jews do not read through the entire prayer book at every service. Depending on the service, is the part of the Siddur which is used. For example, on Shabbat morning (Saturday), the Shabbat morning service is recited. This includes the Shema, the Amidah, the Torah or opening of the ark (Beit Hamikdash), ceremony, and the conclusion (Alaynu). Many of the services share similar if not the same prayers. The Kaddesh is a prayer repeated throughout a service. It is said for anyone who … Continue reading →

What is a Mezuzah?

A Mezuzah can be described as an object or symbol which allows others to know they are walking into a Jewish person’s home. The Mezuzah is placed on the front doorpost of the home, as well as throughout the home. There are many beautiful cases which can be used. Inside is the prayer called the Shema which should be said every morning when you rise and every evening when you lie down. Below is the first paragraph to the prayer in transliterated Hebrew and English. Sh’ma Yisrael Adonai Elohaynu Adonai Echad. Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord … Continue reading →

A Chabad Seder

This year was my husband’s and mine first Passover Seder away from our family. We just moved from the east coast to the Phoenix Arizona area and although I thought I was going to be skipping Seder this year, my husband made other plans. Chabad is very strong in the state of Arizona so my husband found the chapter in a nearby town and gave them a call. We celebrated both nights of Seder with Chabad and it was very nice. We also figured it was time to venture out and begin meeting other people. This worked out well as … Continue reading →

Jewish Wedding

In a Jewish wedding ceremony, there are many different traditions which can be observed. Ketubah The Ketubah is the Jewish marriage certificate. This is signed by two witnesses prior to the wedding ceremony. When the bride and groom are standing under the Chupah, it is given to the bride as a symbol of the commitment of marriage by the groom. Standing under the Chuppah A Chuppah can be made from anything as simple as four wooden poles and placing a Tallis across the top. The bride, groom, and Rabbi stand under the Chuppah to symbolize the making of the new … Continue reading →

Chametz and Cleaning

Chametz means “leavening agents.” Any food or drink which contains wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, or any other forms of leaving agents cannot be eaten on Passover. Some examples of Chametz are: Breakfast Cereals Crackers Pasta Beer Vinegar The searching for Chametz ritual is done the night before Passover begins. Each corner, room, and even your car should be checked for Chametz. Furniture and couch cushions should also be included in the cleaning. Another tradition many Jews will do is change over their entire kitchen to Kosher for Passover. This means taking all the dishware, silverware, glasses, and all cookware … Continue reading →

Different Types of Matzot

Matzah is the flat, cracker like food Jews eat on Passover as symbol. Due to the Jews being freed from slavery and the rush to leave Egypt, the bread that was being made did not have time to rise. Because of this, Matzah was discovered. Through the journey of the hot desert, the mixture for the bread baked into Matzah. There are different types of Matzah or Matzot (in Hebrew and Plural). Year-round Matzah: This is not Kosher for Passover. Matzah which is made from fruit juice or eggs: This type of Matzah should only be eaten on Passover but … Continue reading →

The Four Questions – Mah Nish-Tanah

During the Passover Seder, the youngest family member asks the four questions. Most children learn how to sing them in Hebrew but also learn what the meaning is and the answers to them. Why is this night different from all other nights? – Overall question Mah nish-tanah ha-lahy-lah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-lay-loht, mi-kol ha-lay-loht? 1) On all other nights, we may eat chametz and matzah. Why on this night do we only eat matzah? She-b’khol ha-lay-loht anu okh-lin cha-meytz u-mat-zah, cha-meytz u-mat-zah. Ha-lahy-lah ha-zeh, ha-lahy-lah ha-zeh, koo-loh mat-zah. 2) On all other nights, we eat many vegetables. Why on this night … Continue reading →

Passover – The Seder Plate

On Passover, there are a lot of symbols used to remember the Exodus from Egypt. One is called a Seder plate. Below are the symbols and what each represents about the Passover holiday. Mortar or Charoset (in Hebrew): A mixture of apples, nuts, spices, and wine or grape juice. It symbolizes the mortar that the Jewish people used to build and keep the bricks together when they were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt. During the Passover Seder, the Charoset is eaten with Matzah, Karpas, and the Bitter Herbs. Roasted Egg or Beitzah (in Hebrew): The egg symbolizes a few things. … Continue reading →

Kindergarten and Standardized Testing

Standardized testing is on the rise and teaching to the test is favored but now the Kindergarten grade has also been brought into this world of standards. Is it a good approach to begin standardized testing at a young age? My friend teaches in a school in Paterson, NJ and through a conversation, she mentioned that her class had testing this past week. It didn’t click right away till after I got off the phone call with her but my friend is a full time Kindergarten teacher! The age of a Kindergartener is around 5 years old. At this age, … Continue reading →

Social Promotion

What is Social Promotion? Social promotion is the idea to allow students to continue to pass each grade level with their classmates, regardless if the individual fulfills their academic requirements and meets the standards and grades to be promoted onto the next grade level. The government has been trying to stop this practice for many years. The disadvantages of social promotion are to students learning; they never truly learn the concepts of the subject and are constantly struggling to keep up. Many times, the student may experience low self-esteem and never really catches up to their peer’s knowledge. Another study … Continue reading →