Author: shamyr

Chabbat Ha’Hodesh (הַחֹדֶשׁ – This Month), Exodus 12:1-20

In Egypt, the Hebrews are commanded to count the month of spring¹ as the beginning of months. This time counting is the first mitzvah given to the Jewish nation.

Exodus 12:2
הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים: רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם, לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה.
This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.

This time counting marks a new beginning. Nissan celebrates the liberation of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. It is the Exodus, the journey towards the promised land filled with hope.

The time counting is displayed on the Hebrew clock² of the Town Hall in the Josefov³ district of Prague. Built in 1586, under the patronage of Mordechai Maisel⁴, next to the Old-New Synagogue, the Renaissance-style building served as a meeting place for the local Jewish community. It acquired its Rococo facade in the 18th century.

¹ The spring month, Aviv (אביב), is the month of Nissan. It’s a ‘full’ month of 30 days (Chodesh Male – חודש מלא). It’s the first month of the religious year, but it’s the seventh or eighth month (leap year) of the year from Rosh Hashanah.
² On this clock, Hebrew letters replace the numbers, and the hands rotate counterclockwise.
³ Josefov: named in honor of Emperor Joseph II, who emancipated the Jews by issuing an edict of tolerance in 1781.
⁴ Mordechai Maisel (1528-1601), philanthropist, mayor of Prague, leader of the Jewish community of Prague, and friend of the famous Maharal (מהר”ל = מורנו הרב לב – Moreinu HaRav Loew, Our Master Rabbi Loew).

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.

La Paracha Tetzaveh (תצוה – You will order), Exodus 27:20 – 30:10, describes the preparation of olive oil for the menorah, the making of the high priest’s clothes, including the Choshen (חֹשֶׁן – Pectoral ) fixed at the Ephod (אפוד – richly embroidered vest), decorated with twelve stones, different liturgies and the manufacture of the altar of perfumes.

Exodus 28:19
וְהַטּוּר הַשְּׁלִישִׁי–לֶשֶׁם שְׁבוֹ, וְאַחְלָמָה.
In the third row are:
Le Leshem (Opale), Shevo (Agate) and Achlama (Amethyst) ⁽¹⁾.

“The Achlama stone was designated for the tribe of Gad, because this jewel supports the heart of man within the battle and the Bnei Gad were renowned for their skill in the art of war” ⁽²⁾. The word אחלמה (amethyst) has a numerical value of 84, the same numerical value as עזז, meaning to be strong, to have courage ⁽³⁾.

The small Spanish town of the Granada region, Alhama ⁽⁴⁾, is known for its thermal waters ⁽⁵⁾, its spectacular natural environment and its rich historical heritage, notably the Pósito, an ancient 13^th century synagogue which was transformed at 16^th century in a communal attic (Pósito). Located on the Plaza de Los Presos (Place des Prisonniers), it is today one of the most emblematic buildings in medieval Alhama.
The Pósito is built according to the Sillería technique ⁽⁶⁾. Its interior is made up of two large naves separated by a large central arch.

⁽¹⁾ The Temple Institute lists no less than thirty different opinions trying to identify the gems of the pectoral.
⁽²⁾ Rabbi Moshe Weissman, Le Midrach Raconte, Ed. Solomon Haïm Lehiani, p. 335.
⁽³⁾ Gematry 84 : א=1+ח=8+ל=30+מ=40+ה=5 et ז=7+ז=7+ע=70.
⁽⁴⁾ Hebrew transcription is אלחמה, which has the gematry 84.
⁽⁵⁾ Alhama is a term that comes from Arabic الحمام (Transcription: Al Hama) which means the hammam (thermal baths).
⁽⁶⁾ Technique in which the stones are precisely cut to adjust perfectly to each other without the use of mortar or cement.

In the Parasha Terumah (תרומה – contribution), Exodus 25:1 – 27:19, Moses receives instructions for the construction of the Mishkan (מִשְׁכָּן – Tabernacle). The children of Israel participate by bringing their contributions, providing necessary materials such as gold, silver, copper, wood, etc.

Exodus 25:3 and 8
וְזֹאת הַתְּרוּמָה אֲשֶׁר תִּקְחוּ מֵאִתָּם: זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וּנְחֹשֶׁת[…]
וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ; וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם.
And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and copper […]
And they shall make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

Jewish presence in Casale Monferrato, beginning in the 1430s, was later than in other regions of Piedmont ⁽¹⁾. Under different dynasties, Jews, primarily engaged in lending and commerce, experienced periods of relative security. With the annexation to the House of Savoy in 1708, they were confined to the ghetto. During the Napoleonic occupation, they achieved full equality. From 1933 and the rise of fascism, signs of antisemitism began to appear and intensified over time, leading Jews from Casale Monferrato to seek refuge in major Italian cities or in the countryside, and some even fled to Switzerland.

Although its exterior retains the anonymous character of ghetto synagogues, that of Casale Monferrato, built in 1595 and remodeled several times, represents a baroque masterpiece of Piedmontese architecture. The prayer hall benefits from the lighting provided by fourteen windows, seven on each side, embellished with gilding. Its barrel-vaulted ceiling is beautifully decorated with a blue-green ceiling, where the words “זה שער השמים” (This is the gate of heaven) are inscribed in gold letters. Large copper chandeliers add to its splendor. The finely crafted wooden moucharabiehs of the women’s gallery overlook the hall. The Holy Ark, designed with precious materials and adorned with solid gold, reveals, once its doors are open, a crimson damask and golden ornaments as well as the Ten Commandments sculpted in cobalt blue. On the first floor is the Jewish Museum of Art and History ⁽²⁾, which houses a collection of ceremonial silver objects and embroidered textiles.

⁽¹⁾ Daniel Carpi (1926-2005) was a historian specialized in the history of Italian Jews. He was head of the Jewish history department at Tel Aviv University and also taught at Yeshiva University, the Sorbonne, and St Antony’s College, Oxford.
⁽²⁾ Known as the Museo degli Argenti (Museum of Silverware).

In the Torah portion of Mishpatim (מִּשְׁפָּטִים – laws, Exodus 21:1-24:18), following the revelation at Sinai, The Lord establishes laws regarding the release of slaves, loans, justice, the treatment of strangers, observance of festivals, and agricultural offerings. God also promises to guide Israel to the Holy Land and warns against pagan practices. The people commit to following these commandments, and as a sign of this commitment, Moses ascends Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. The haftarah (Jeremiah 34:8-22 & 33:25-26) also deals with the release of slaves.

Jeremiah 34:10
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ כָל-הַשָּׂרִים וְכָל-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר-בָּאוּ בַבְּרִית, לְשַׁלַּח אִישׁ אֶת-עַבְדּוֹ וְאִישׁ אֶת-שִׁפְחָתוֹ חָפְשִׁים,
לְבִלְתִּי עֲבָד-בָּם, עוֹד; וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ, וַיְשַׁלֵּחוּ.
And all the princes and all the people hearkened, that had entered into the covenant to let every one his man-servant, and every one his maid-servant, go free, and not to make bondmen of them any more; they hearkened, and let them go.

The B’nai Israel Synagogue:
The Chizuk Amuno(¹⁾ congregation, founded in 1871 in Baltimore, Maryland, experienced a split in 1873 when a group of newly arrived Russian Jews, stricter in their practices, formed the B’nai Israel congregation. In 1895, B’nai Israel acquired the building that the Chizuk Amuno congregation had constructed in 1876. The B’nai Israel Synagogue is distinguished by its neo-Moorish architectural style and its Ark, carved from wood and flanked by two minarets. In 1973, B’nai Israel embarked on a restoration project for the synagogue, which was officially designated a historic monument by the city of Baltimore in 1977. It remains one of the oldest Orthodox synagogues still in operation in the United States.

Freedom Park:
In 1975, the B’nai Israel community donated land to the city of Baltimore for the construction of a park, named Freedom Park. This park, dedicated to the liberation of all victims of oppression, reflects the B’nai Israel community’s commitment to the values of freedom and justice.

⁽¹⁾ Chizuk Amuno is the Ashkenazi pronunciation of Hazak Emunah (חזוק אמונה – strengthening faith).

In the Parasha Yitro (יתרו, Exodus 18:1-20:23), impressed by the divine miracles, notably the opening of the Yam Souf (the Red Sea) and the war against ‘Amalek, Yitro, Moses’ father-in-law, joins the Israelites. He advises Moses on governance. The Jews gather at the foot of Mount Sinai. God reveals to them that they have been chosen to be a ‘kingdom of priests’ and a ‘holy nation’, and He proclaims the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 20:14:
וְכָל-הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת-הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת-הַלַּפִּידִם, וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר, וְאֶת-הָהָר, עָשֵׁן
And all the people saw the voices and the torches, the sound of the shofar, and the smoking mountain.

The Beth Sholom congregation, founded in Philadelphia in 1919, moved to Elkins Park in the 1950s and began to build a new synagogue to accommodate an increasing number of members.

Designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright⁽¹⁾, the Elkins Park synagogue, an architectural masterpiece⁽²⁾, is distinguished by its inclined walls in stepped translucent reinforced glass and plastic. The interior is bathed in natural light during the day, and at night, the entire building radiates with artificial light. From the outside, the building rises towards the sky, evoking a “luminous Mount Sinai”⁽³⁾. On each of its three large edges, the architect has placed a stylized seven-branched candelabrum, visible from all sides.

⁽¹⁾ Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), an American architect and designer, completed more than 400 projects. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects recognized him as the greatest American architect in history.
⁽²⁾ This is the only synagogue designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 70 years of creation. It was inaugurated a few months after his death.
⁽³⁾ Luminous Mount Sinai is a description by Frank Lloyd Wright himself.

The Parasha Beshala’h (בשלח – When he let go), Exodus 13: 17–17: 16, contains the Song of the Sea, traditionally sung on a particular melody and written in the parchment of the Torah with a distinctive pattern called in “brick-like pattern“.

The Pinner synagogue, located in Cecil Park, was founded in 1940. The current building, built in tiles and red bricks, was erected in 1981. The community follows the Orthodox ashkénaze ritual and is affiliated with the United Synagogue ⁽¹⁾. In October 2014, the municipal council unanimously approved the proposals to create an Erouv ⁽²⁾. In force since March 2018, its 24 km perimeter is one of the largest in the Grand London.

⁽¹⁾ Main federation of British Orthodox Jewish synagogues bringing together around 40,000 faithful.
⁽²⁾ Pinner’s Erouv Plan (click) and others around London.