March 31-April 1
Rabbi Jonathan Kligler writes how, on Passover, spiritual and political themes come into sublime and powerful alignment.
In this podcast, Rabbi Michael Strassfeld says it’s time to reimagine the Seder and Shabbat services.
From Philo of Alexandria to a Reconstructionist Haggadah, Rabbi Maurice Harris takes on a metaphoric tour of story interpretation.
Sharing some of her family’s story, theoretical physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein explores what it means to be simultaneously Black and Jewish in America.
March 24-25
This easy-to-follow cooking video and recipe for an Iraqi Seder staple will be sure to whet your appetite.
Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, who 50 years ago edited the seminal Jewish Catalogue, says it’s time to disrupt the Passover Seder. He starts with four new questions.
This newly updated resource offers ideas and additions for all 15 steps of the Passover Seder, making great additions to any Haggadah.
In retelling a poignant story about the founder of the Mussar movement, Adva Chattler’s new kavannah helps us think about how actions impact other people and the environment. It’s intended for the Seder’s second ritual handwashing.
Virtual Shabbat Box Archives: March 2023
March 17-18
Rabbinical student Stephanie Breitsman shares her Reconstructionist journey and how she has found new meaning in the words of Torah by connecting to the physical scroll and becoming a sofer.
This message from Rabbi Deborah Waxman and the accompanying report detail how Reconstructing Judaism is cultivating the resilience needed for people and communities to bring about a more just and meaningful world.
With Passover just around the corner, we turn to Yocheved, whose voice does not appear in Exodus, but thanks to Rabbi Sonya K. Pilz, it can be heard loud and clear in this moving poem.
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, who turns 90 later this year, spoke in 2021 about the origins of the Freedom Seder and what it means today.
March 10-11
As we close the Megillah on Purim and look ahead to Passover, Rabbi Vivie Mayer sheds new light in comparing the festivals.
Rabbi Daniel Swarz connects the dots from a rafting trip to thinking about life’s big questions, to working with the pope on climate change activism.
Written for Israel’s most recent anniversary, this revised prayer by Rabbi David Seidenberg feels especially relevant as Israel spirals into civil unrest in violence. “Rescue all of Your land, from the Jordan River to the sea, from the spilling of blood, and all of her inhabitants and sojourners.”
For some of us, our days are divided into two (or three or four) cups of coffee. Shaul Kelner’s original blessing helps imbue a daily ritual with holiness.
March 3-4
Rabbi Mira Wasserman shares a Talmudic story that demonstrates human commonalities across religions, cultures and time itself.
Rabbinical student Nicole Fix juxtaposes the weekly Torah portion with the Purim story. By shining a light on injustice, each text in its own way brings more holiness to the world.
Hiding and deception play key roles in the Purim story, reflected in two traditional Iraqi treats. Never tried Sambusak and B’ab’a B’tamer? Now is your chance to make them from scratch.
Rabbi Emily Cohen explains that, sometimes, we don’t really learn who we are until we pretend to be somebody else. There’s something liberating about dressing up for Purim.
