Month: February 2025

Terumah (תְּרוּמָה – contribution), Rosh Chodesh (רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ – beginning of the month (new moon)), Shekalim (שְׁקָלִים – shekels)

Hallel⁽¹⁾ (Rosh Chodesh), the Torah portion for Terumah: Exodus 25:1 – 27:19, for Rosh Chodesh: Numbers 28:1-15, for Shekalim: Exodus 30:11-16 and haftarah Shekalim: Kings II: 11:17 – 12:17 (Ashkenazim start at 12:1), and for Rosh Chodesh, the verses Isaiah 66:1 and 66:24 or 66:23.

All these texts have a strong connection to the Temple and the divine service, whether it’s about its construction, maintenance, or the conduct of worship.

Exodus 25:8
וְעָשׂוּ לִי, מִקְדָּשׁ; וְשָׁכַנְתִּי, בְּתוֹכָם.
They shall build Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them.

It is the largest of the three synagogues in the city. Its construction began in 1867 under the direction of architect Fredrik Wilhelm Scholander⁽²⁾ in the neo-Moorish style, a common influence in 19th-century European synagogue architecture. It was inaugurated on September 16, 1870⁽³⁾. It can accommodate around 900 people and includes balconies reserved for women according to Orthodox Jewish tradition. The bimah (reading platform) is located at the front, and an organ is installed on the upper floor, reflecting the influence of German Reform Judaism, which was then dominant in Sweden.

The Great Synagogue of Stockholm is a classified building⁽⁴⁾, protected by law due to its historical and architectural significance.

⁽¹⁾ Hallel consists of Psalms 113 to 118. For the small Hallel, the first 11 verses of Psalms 115 and 116 are not recited. The complete Hallel is recited on the three pilgrimage festivals and Hanukkah, while the small Hallel is recited on Rosh Chodesh, the last six days of Passover, and on Yom Ha’atzmaut.
⁽²⁾ Fredrik Wilhelm Scholander (1816-1881) was a Swedish architect, artist, and professor, trained at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and specialized in the historicist style (a 19th-century Western trend seeking to renew architecture by drawing on ancient styles. Various “neo” styles thus emerged: neo-classicism, neo-baroque, neo-gothic, etc.).
⁽³⁾ Just before Yom Kippur, on the 8th of Tishri 5631.
⁽⁴⁾ The list of protected buildings is established by the Riksantikvarieämbetet, Sweden’s national heritage board responsible for the conservation of cultural heritage in Sweden.

Mishpatim (משפטים – laws)
^{Exodus 21:1-24:18 and Jeremiah 34:8-22 & 33:25-26.}

In Parashat Mishpatim, The Lord, through the voice of Moses, conveys a set of laws governing civil life and reaffirms His covenant with Israel. In the Haftarah, the prophet Jeremiah reproaches the people for not upholding these laws, announces exile, and reminds them of the permanence of the divine covenant.

Exodus 23:6
לֹא תַטֶּה מִשְׁפַּט אֶבְיֹנְךָ, בְּרִיבוֹ.
You shall not pervert the judgment of your needy in his dispute.

In Judaism, sacredness applies both to the court and the synagogue. The Sages teach that one who desires to be pious must strictly observe civil laws (Bava Kamma 30a). The Rabbinical Courts⁽¹⁾, integrated into the Israeli judicial system, handle matters of personal status (marriage, divorce, wills, and inheritances). Supervised by the Ministry of Religious Services, judges are appointed by a selection committee⁽²⁾. Israel has 12 regional Rabbinical Courts⁽³⁾, including the Rabbinical Court of Jerusalem, which also serves as an appellate court. A few years ago, this court moved into a new building located in the Givat Shaul neighborhood, west of the city.

⁽¹⁾ The Supreme Court has limited their power in financial disputes, favoring civil courts.
⁽²⁾ The selection committee is responsible for appointing judges to all rabbinical courts, including regional courts and the Rabbinical Beth Din of Jerusalem. It consists of: the Minister of Justice (or their representative), a Supreme Court judge, two Knesset members, a rabbi representing both Chief Rabbis of Israel, and a representative from each Ashkenazi and Sephardic community. These representatives are appointed by the Chief Rabbi of their respective community. They are distinguished figures, often influential rabbis or respected religious leaders. Their role in the committee is to ensure the traditions of their respective communities.
⁽³⁾ The 12 regional courts are located in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Be’er Sheva, Rishon LeZion, Ashkelon, Petah Tikva, Netanya, Afula, Kiryat Shmona, Tiberias, and Beit She’an. The Grand Rabbinical Beth Din of Jerusalem serves as the supreme judicial authority and appellate court.

Yitro (יִתְרוֹ‎ – Jethro)
^{Exodus 18:1-20:23 and Isaiah 6:1-7:6 and 9:5-6}

In the parasha, the children of Israel arrive at the foot of Mount Sinai, where God reveals Himself and proclaims the Ten Commandments. In the haftara, the prophet Isaiah highlights the divine revelation and the covenant between God and Israel.

Exodus 19:5
וְעַתָּה, אִם-שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי,
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם, אֶת-בְּרִיתִי–וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל-הָעַמִּים,
כִּי-לִי כָּל-הָאָרֶץ.
Now, if you will indeed listen to My voice
and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me
above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin⁽¹⁾ draws a parallel⁽²⁾ between the Jewish marriage contract (Ketubah) and the Ten Commandments. These two texts express, one of the divine and human covenant, and the other of the matrimonial covenant. The seventh blessing of the Sheva Brachot⁽³⁾ associates the joy “Qol Sasson” and the happiness “Qol Simha” of marriage with that of the restoration of Israel and Jerusalem.

Knesset Eliyahoo, founded in 1884 by Jacob Elias Sassoon⁽⁴⁾, is a Sephardic synagogue in Mumbai. It is connected to the history of David Sassoon, who fled Baghdad in 1832 to settle in Bombay. The synagogue, designed by the architectural firm Gostling & Morris, reflects the influence of Indian and English styles. It is built of stone and brick, and its turquoise facade gives it a distinctive identity. It is maintained by the Jacob Sassoon Trust⁽⁵⁾.

⁽¹⁾ Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, born in 1940 in Brooklyn, is an American-Israeli Orthodox rabbi. He founded the Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York and the city of Efrat in Israel. He also created the Ohr Torah Stone organization, a network of high schools and universities in Israel and the United States.
⁽²⁾ See also Covenant & Conversation: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020), Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth (1991-2013), English philosopher and theologian, and the Commentary on the Ketubah by Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried (1804-1886), posek halakha, author of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch.
⁽³⁾ The blessing of the seventh berakhah of the Sheva Brachot: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has created joy and gladness, groom and bride, exultation, song, delight and rejoicing, love and harmony, peace and companionship. Quickly, Lord our God, may there be heard in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride (Jeremiah 33:10-11), the voice of the jubilant groom from under their wedding canopy, and the voice of the youths from their feasts of song. Blessed are You, Lord, who gladdens the groom with the bride.
⁽⁴⁾ Kol Sasson: Jacob Elias Sassoon, son of Eliyahoo David Sassoon and grandson of David Sassoon.
⁽⁵⁾ The Jacob Sassoon Trust is a charitable organization founded by the Sassoon family in Mumbai. It manages synagogues, schools, and provides kosher meals and various services to the Jewish community.

Beshalach (בשלח – when he let them go)
Shabbat Shira (שבת שירה – Shabbat of Song)
^{Exodus 13:17–17:16 and Judges 4:4–5:31}

The sea parts to let the Bnei Israel pass through before closing on the Egyptians. In gratitude, Moses sings the Song of the Sea, followed by Miriam and the women who sing in turn. In the Haftarah, Deborah and Barak⁽¹⁾ praise God for their victory over their oppressors.

Judges 5:1
וַתָּשַׁר דְּבוֹרָה וּבָרָק בֶּן־אֲבִינֹעַם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר׃
Deborah and Barak, son of Abinoam, sang on that day, saying:

In the 19th century, synagogues with choirs were called choral synagogues. The Kiev Choral Synagogue, also known as the Podil Synagogue⁽²⁾ or the Rozenberg Synagogue, was built in 1895 in the Moorish style by local architect Nikolay Gardenin and financed by merchant Gabriel Yakob Rozenberg.
In 1915, it was remodeled under the direction of the renowned Ukrainian architect Valerian Mykytovych Rykov (1874–1942), with funding from Vladimir Ginzburg, Rozenberg’s nephew.
Active until 1929, it was then closed by Soviet authorities and transformed into a club. During the German occupation, it was converted into stables. In 1945, it regained its religious function.
In 1990, the Chief Rabbi of Kiev and Ukraine, Yaakov Dov Bleich⁽³⁾, initiated restoration work including the opening of a yeshiva and schools for boys and girls. In 1992, the synagogue was officially returned to the Jewish community.

⁽¹⁾ Deborah, prophetess and judge, leads the Bnei-Israel, under the command of Barak, to victory against the Canaanites. After their defeat at Mount Tabor, their leader Sisera tries to flee but is killed by Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite (tribe of Jethro).
⁽²⁾ Podil is one of the oldest districts of Kiev. Its name means “low land,” reflecting its position by the Dnieper River.
⁽³⁾ Yaakov Dov Bleich (born in Brooklyn in 1964) has been the Chief Rabbi of Kiev and Ukraine since 1990. He studied at the Karlin-Stolin Yeshiva, a Hasidic dynasty that emphasizes music and singing in its religious practices. He founded the Union of Religious Organizations of Ukraine and holds significant positions within the World Jewish Congress.