Month: March 2024

Tzav (צו – command), Leviticus 6:1-8:36
Chabbat Para (Numbers 19:1-22)

In Judaism, nothing is truly considered a coincidence. The simultaneous reading of Tzav and Para reminds us that all divine prescriptions, whether clearly understood or mysterious, hold equal importance.

Belém do Pará is the capital of the State of Pará, in northern Brazil. Pará has one of the largest cattle herds in Brazil, with approximately 21 million animals.

In 1824, after the adoption of the Brazilian constitution guaranteeing freedom of worship, Jews began to return and settle there. That same year, Moroccan Jews had the Shaar Hashamaim synagogue (Gate of Heaven) built by the Brazilian architect Judah Eliezer Levy. In a colonial style, the blue and white façade features three Stars of David and four main entrances. At the center, the elevated and round Bimah is made of carved marble adorned with Stars of David. The walls are painted blue, and white columns support the women’s galleries. The two-story structure is topped with a large dome.

Vayiqra (ויקרא – and He called), Leviticus 1:1-5:26,
Chabbat Zakhor (זכור – Remember), Deuteronomy (25, 17-19)

On the Sabbath preceding the festival of Purim, two Torah scrolls are used: one for the reading of the weekly Torah portion [^1] and the other for Zakhor ^[2], which urges us to remember Amalek and to fight against evil.

Amalek Street
Located opposite the only Orthodox synagogue in Namibia in Windhoek, Amalek Street illustrates the opposition between tolerance and antisemitism. The Jewish community settled in this region around 1910, a time when Namibia was under German rule. Harold Pupkewitz (1915-2012), a prominent figure in this community, was born in Lithuania before immigrating to Namibia. An influential entrepreneur, he was also a committed community leader, actively combating antisemitism and contributing to various philanthropic causes, particularly in the field of education.

The Orthodox Synagogue of Windhoek
Inaugurated in 1924 by Rabbi Landau from South Africa for Jews of German origin, the Windhoek synagogue is a tripartite building. Its beige brick walls support a red corrugated iron roof. Brass chandeliers and windows adorned with Star of David motifs illuminate a vaulted prayer hall, a library, and a kosher kitchen.

[1] Vayikra this year.
[2] According to the majority of decisors, this reading is a duty ordained by the Torah, and many believe that women are also subject to this obligation. If a person, for a valid reason, could not listen to this reading, they are obligated to hear it on the Sabbath of Ki Tetze after asking the Hazzan to discharge them. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef z”l also recommended reading the passage of Zakhor in a Chumash.

Pekudei (פקודי – Inventories), Exodus 38:21–40:38. Linked together⁽¹⁾, Vayakhel and Pekudei describe the entire process of constructing the Tabernacle. The separation of these two parshiot is perceived as a sign of discord.

Exodus 38:21
 אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת, הַכֹּהֵן.
This is the inventory of the Tabernacle, residence of the Tablets of the Covenant ⁽²⁾.

An object of contention, the Supreme Court’s primary role is to verify the constitutionality ⁽³⁾ of laws and government decisions.

It is located in the building designed by architects Ram Karmi and Ada Karmi-Melamede ⁽⁴⁾. This building incorporates elements of Israel’s religious and cultural heritage, notably the lions of the Hamat Gader Synagogue. A long straight path connects the Supreme Court to the Knesset.

⁽¹⁾ If Passover falls on a Sunday or if the year is embolismic (13 months), Vayakhel and Pekudei are not linked.
⁽²⁾ Tablets of the Covenant: The word הָעֵדֻת (HaEdut), meaning testimony or covenant, refers to the Tablets of the Covenant kept inside the Ark of the Covenant.
⁽³⁾ Israel does not have a constitution. Disagreements have prevented the development of a Constitution, although the Declaration of Independence provided for a Constituent Assembly for this purpose. The Knesset has chosen a progressive approach by enacting a series of Basic Laws, each having constitutional status and only revocable by an absolute majority vote. A committee has been working for several years on its development.
⁽⁴⁾ Ram Karmi (1931-2013) and Ada Karmi-Melamede (born in 1936), two Israeli architects, are the children of architect Dov Karmi (1905-1962). All three were awarded the Israel Prize in Architecture (Dov in 1957, Ram in 2002, and Ada in 2007).

On Shabbat shekalim (Exodus 3:11-16), each member of the community is called to contribute equally to the financing of the tabernacle.

In 1654, Jews fleeing the Portuguese Inquisition in Recife, Brazil, found refuge in New Amsterdam, later New York, despite attempts by Peter Stuyvesant, governor of the colony, to expel them. The administrators of the Dutch West India Company opposed its anti-Semitic policies and supported the Jewish presence recognizing their importance to Dutch interests.

The Wall Street Synagogue, built in 1929 at the instigation of Rabbi Joseph Hager and financed by members of the neighborhood’s Jewish community, is a 5-story building frequented by employees of the business world.