Posts by Jacob Oslick
120 posts
For anyone who can make it to Philadelphia.
Fascinating article.
For those interested in coming to Philadelphia for the High Holidays…
"In every generation, they rise up against us to destroy us. . ." I'm very worried that the U.S. is going the way of France.
Very excited - make reservations at: https://www.mikvehisrael.org
For those who are interested, a number of Mikveh Israel's historical records are now digitized and publicly-available:
Thanks to the wonderful efforts of R. Yosef Zarnighian and the Mikveh Israel staff, we have managed to convert a nearly-complete recording of the Mikveh Israel Shabbat morning service into a modern file format. The recording was made on a Sunday in the 1980s, when Rabbi Toledano and the Congregation assembled to do a mock Shabbat service and record it for posterity. It's a genuine gem, and conta...
Does anyone have a copy of (or a link to) recordings of the Spanish Targumim of the Haftarot for the Three Weeks, as well as copies/links to the text? We are considering trying to bring this custom back.
Can someone give me quick, concise sources supporting that Kapparot - even with money - is a foolish, dangerous, and/or idolatrous practice that should be abolished/forbidden?My daughter’s yeshiva gave her the “homework” of reciting Kapparot. Grrrr….
The 2023-2024 Calendar from the SJUA (Sephardi Jews of Uganda Assistance), which supports the Ugandan commmunities that have adopted Sephardic Judaism and generally follow S&P customs (under the guidance of Rabbi [Sjimon René den Hollander](https://www.facebook.com/groups/54874473131/user/842094496/?__cft__[0]=AZWEdg6kPMoYaT1uHgZ1mSRQ3AGD6lePyOd9mrwApBpY9Xf17oFD9QBApPXF06tjzMBZ8dunE94AyEwbSZaSB3Ds...
At the request of Catriel Ceballos , here is a clip of Rev. Phil Sherman performing the introduction to the Berit Milah ceremony — this was taken at my son’s Berit almost five years ago. I have another son due in October. Although I am sad most of all at the loss of a truly remarkable human being, I am also sad that he won’t be able to repeat his amazing work as a mohel for my family.
In case anyone here might be interested. Please don't ask me questions . . . I wouldn't know. I'm not even a member of Shearith anymore. I'm just passing this along in case someone might be interested.
Mikveh Israel is hosting an Indonesian-themed Shabbaton this weekend, in honor of [Kahal Kadosh Shaar HaShamayim - Portugees Israëlietische Gemeente Indonesia](https://www.facebook.com/shaarhashamayim?__cft__[0]=AZUWVkM4S7o-x-eoZrBoPAuH_6VQo9oqMjyDKpWX6jRwhUvFw1X3_4yBX1FPGI60Jkc2P5caIH_5bath74PIecoUUHttvGqu5MhxWV5oVsqYIS7wra1aD3YzTJlrztpbdngswEyKPZVYDLt-y3IB_rawv-oI8k8HIvNvVb7Vu1M0vWWIs_xegZN1-R6R...
A serious question - for the remaining European communities, how great a threat is emigration to their continued vitality? In this regard, I fear that the U.S. is only about 10-15 years behind Europe. And we also have to deal with migration to the suburbs and other states -- Mikveh Israel lost several families to Florida due in part to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mikveh Israel Gala on May 21!! Please come!! And, even if you can't come, please consider an ad in our Tribute Book!! Info below. Happy to answer any questions.
Gala to Honor Rabbi Gabbai! May 21!
Super excited!!! On December 9-10, Congregation Mikveh Israel - Synagogue of the American Revolution welcomes the Rev. Nachshon Rodrigues Pereira for a special Shabbaton!We are also having a Dutch-themed wine and dessert evening on Saturday night!!
The Sukkah this year at Congregation Mikveh Israel - Synagogue of the American Revolution
For those of you still looking for Sukkot plans, Mikveh Israel is, once again, having communal meals in its Sukkah -- which is easily the prettiest in all of Philadelphia (photo from last year). Pre-paid meals will be offered on the "first days," intermediate Shabbat, and "last days." Meals are $25 per meal for adults, and $10 for children (kids under 6 are free). There are also many hotels in ...
After Rabbi Jonathan Cohen published his post on the ewer allegedly given to Rev. Isaac Leeser (if the Jewish Museum’s description is accurate), I did a little digging on the precise circumstances of his acrimonious departure from Mikveh Israel.It turns out Leeser himself published his version of the controversy in the Occident. It’s rather a tough read, but perhaps interesting for a history nerd...
For those still seeking High Holiday plans. . . at Mikveh Israel we have a wonderful lineup of Hazanim for the holidays, pre-paid synagogue meals, and arrangements with the local hotels.
Which communities use the greeting "morir habemos" (i.e., "we all must die") on Tisha BeAb, with the response being "ya lo sabemos" ("indeed, we know it")?I have seen it in NY, albeit rarely. I have not seen it in Philadelphia, but my personal memory doesn't go back very far. Per Jonathan Cohen's site, I'm aware that it's used in Amsterdam, but is unknown in London. What about the other communi...
On Tishang BeAb, which congregations still recite the Haftarah in Spanish?
Mikveh Israel is starting an online children's service. It will be Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Time), for ages 5-12. All are welcome. Please PM me if you would like the Zoom link.
Does anyone have expertise in pulling music files off of websites? Sadly, Mikvehisraelmusicm.org no longer functions. And the website was built with such an old system that -- even when the site did function -- it was not accessible with modern browsers. But it can still be accessed through the Wayback Machine. I'd love to pull the recordings off of it. One example below, which contains (or at...