The Jewish Biography as History series at the Young Israel of Bal Harbour continues this week with a presentation on Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, a major figure whose bold and heroic leadership rescued the Jewish people from the threat of national oblivion in the wake of the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century.
Lectures are scheduled for Wednesday nights at 8:00 pm and are free an open to the community.
I’m so glad that so many of you decided to download my latest book, “The Kabbalah of Forgiveness: The Thirteen Levels of Mercy in Rabbi Moshe Cordovero’s Date Palm of Devorah (Tomer Devorah).” I’m also very grateful that many of you have found this work meaningful, especially in the rare moment of the season of repentance that we are enjoying for a few more days.
If you have time to jot down a few words describing your thoughts about the book (any highly superlative praise will do), perhaps you would consider going online and letting other potential readers know? Here’s a few links:
And if you haven’t had a chance to download a copy for yourself, don’t worry: the free offer extends until the 19th of October. Please visit smashwords and enter coupon code YT52E.
Do you prefer a hard copy? Please visit one of these booksellers:
This lecture serves as an introduction to the Rishonim, a body of Rabbinic scholars associated with the 9th through the 15th centuries of the common era. Part of the Essential Lectures in Jewish History series.
Israel Meir Kagan (photo courtesy Baruch Chafetz via Wikimedia Commons)
Brief video highlighting the life and work of Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan (1838-1936), one of the most influential Rabbis of the 20th century. Better known as the Chofetz Chaim (*one who desires life,” taken from Psalm 34).
Alexander Abramson runs the 2013 ING Miami Marathon
Alexander has done well with his fundraising efforts to participate in the Boys Israel Leadership Training (BILT) program run by the National Council of Synagogue Youth. He’s already raised $858 toward his goal of $3,000! To all of you who participated, thanks very much. If you haven’t yet had a chance, please do so quickly, because the Learnathon ends on Friday, May 23!
Alexander Abramson runs the 2013 ING Miami Marathon
I’m a runner. I’ve been running as long as I can remember, including my first half-marathon at age 12 and my first full marathon at 14. Running gives me energy, and makes me feel like I can accomplish anything. I’m proud of my finishes, and even more proud that over the years I’ve raised almost $10,000 for charities like the Joe DiMaggio Childrens’ Hospital Foundation and Friendship Circle. I’m Alexander Abramson, I’m 15, and a proud sophomore at Weinbaum Yeshiva High School in Boca Raton.
My mom suggested I try out for BILT, a program run by the National Council of Synaogue Youth. It stands for Boys Israel Leadersthip Training, and I think it’s really sick that I got accepted. BILT will let me visit Israel, train on IDF bases, and help out at camps for Israeli kids in Sderot who have to live with terrorist bombing attacks all the time. I think it’s going to change my life, and help me understand what I can do for Israel and the Jewish people when I get older.
I need your help to attend BILT. I”ve got an ambitious goal of raising $3,000 to participate, and I’m going to prepare by learning a lot more about Israel’s history, geography, and culture. Please help me by sponsoring me for this program. Click here to visit my sponsor page.
We are scheduled to resume our lecture series this evening with a presentation on the Chofetz Chaim,one of the most influential Rabbinic thinkers of the late 19th and early 20th century. Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan is known principally for his dramatically creative analysis of the topic of forbidden speech (lashon ha-ra), and rose to prominence as a major scholar-leader of the Jewish people. 8:30 at Young Israel. Look forward to seeing you!
Alexander Abramson runs the 2013 ING Miami Marathon
Hello everyone: my son Alexander is once again training to run the ING Miami Marathon to raise funds for Friendship Circle, a non-profit organization that helps children, teens and adults with special needs. Alexander is an avid runner with a long history of running for charitable causes: in 2010 he ran his first half-marathon (at age 12) and raised several thousand dollars for the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation. Since then he’s been running with Team Friendship, and really counts on your support to help kids with various disabilities (the attached brief video, created by his sister Danit Malka, tells the story). Please support his bid to complete his second full marathon by visiting www.teamfriendship.org and sponsoring this organization generously. Thank you!
Henry Abramson 