Posts by Jacob Oslick
120 posts
I mentioned this on another thread, but I think it would be helpful to have a current list of S&P congregations stickied somewhere on this page, with a division between congregations which preserve the rite entirely (e.g., Bevis Marks), those which preserve portions of the rite (e.g., Montreal), and those that were not originally S&P but absorbed and still maintain a significant S&P influence (e.g...
For anyone in this group looking for an S&P service, and who can make to Philadelphia for the festival:Please join us at Mikveh Israel for Shabuot and the preceding Shabbat (June 3-6).Full, delicious pre-paid meals for both dinners and lunches: $18 for members, $25 for non-members. Kids under 10 free. Contact the office for meal reservations -- 215-922-5446.Evening services will be at 7:15 p.m. ...
Did Spanish-Portuguese Jews traditionally wear a tallit katan (i.e., a "tzitzit" undergarment)? If so, did they hold it was required?I have generally not worn them, and always understood that -- while tzitzit are required on a four-cornered garment -- there was no requirement to purposefully wear a four-cornered garment in order to fulfill the mitzvah of tzitzit. Of course, I'm an admitted Am Ha'...
A news article about a Hesed project that I played a very small part in. Congratulations to David Tawil and Yaakov Baruch.
Question: if there was a monthly children’s service held via Zoom on a Sunday morning (US Eastern time - i.e. Philadelphia time), how many of you would have your children join? If so, what ages?What I’m envisioning is a highly abbreviated service mostly focused on the portions that are sung communally, and lasting maybe 30-45 minutes.If such a service were held, what would you want to see included...
Congregation Mikveh Israel - Synagogue of the American Revolution is holding a women’s reading of Megillat Esther tomorrow via Zoom at 12 pm EDT.PM me if you want the link.
I’m not sure if this will be viewable to everyone here, but, together with the Museum of the American Revolution, Congregation Mikveh Israel - Synagogue of the American Revolution held a reading of President Washington’s letter to KKMI today for Preisdents’ Day. An actor played President Washington, while our current Parnas played the part of Manuel Josephson (the Parnas who wrote President Washin...
Something I just found online -- the original 1857 Charter of Congregation Beth El Emeth. This was a Mikveh Israel breakaway congregation in Philadelphia which lasted about 50 years. It was formed by supporters of the Rev. Isaac Leeser, after Rev. Leeser departed Mikveh Israel. Section II of the Charter set forth that "The form of worship shall be that of the Portuguese Minhag according to the ...
In keeping with the central goal of this group, please consider doing something practical to help preserve the Western Sephardic Tradition: give an end-of-year donation to Congregation Mikveh Israel.We're a relatively small Congregation. We don't have the resources or donor base of New York or London. But we're a pure S&P, and we've managed to not only preserve the tradition mostly intact since ...
On KKMI’s Hashcabah list this past week was Elizabeth Lazarus, who, together with her sister, converted to Judaism in 1834, and completed her conversion by immersing in the Delaware River. I believe, but am not certain, that she had a Jewish father and gentile mother.Clearly anyone who would immerse in the Delaware River to convert must have the requisite faith. But I’m curious for sources on ho...
Great article about a new exhibit at the Museum of the American Revolution on colonial American Jewry, including the early members of Mikveh Israel. The museum also displays, on a regular basis, one set of our colonial era Rimonim.
Mikveh Israel will be holding its traditional Thanksgiving Day service at 9:00 a.m. Eastern this Thursday morning. Anyone in the Philadelphia area is more than welcome to come.We will also be broadcasting the service via Zoom. Please PM me if you'd like the link.
The Mikveh Israel Sukkah.
A nice article about Mikveh Israel in the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, including our hiring of Rabbi Yosef Zarnighian and our recent renovations. It got some small details wrong, but overall nice publicity.
Mikveh Israel will be live-streaming Kal Nidre tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. EDT (Philadelphia time). If anyone is interested, please reach out to me and I'd be happy to share the link in a private message. The streaming is for Kal Nidre only (i.e., before sundown), not for Arbit.
Congratulations to R. Yosef Zarnighian on his hiring as Assistant Rabbi of Congregation Mikveh Israel!The full-announcement is below.
The new, renovated Mikveh Israel. The marble floor, just put in last week, is a replica of the floor from our fourth building, which was in use from 1909-1976.
An article from the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent on KKMI's Women's Reading of Eicha.It garbles some things (for instance, women have **always** participated in communal singing, R. Gabbai is simply teaching classes so that more people know the High Holiday melodies) but the publicity is generally a good thing.
A reminder for those interested -- KKMI's inaugural but hopefully annual Women's Reading of Eicha is this Thursday night.
KKMI is very proud to announce that we will be holding an online Women’s reading of Eicha this year, separate and apart from our regular Tisha B’ab service.
Mikveh Israel will be doing a girls'/women's reading of the Book of Ruth on Ereb Shabungot at 2 p.m. Philadelphia time.Please contact me if you'd like the Zoom link.
Have we ever done a survey of women's roles at S&P synagouges?In NY, there are occasional women's services in the little Bet Knesset. Additionally, teenage girls read Shir HaShirim at Pesah, and pre-Bat Mitzvah girls read the Book of Ruth at Shabuot. In Philly, women read the Book of Ruth on Shabuot (this just started last year). Additionally, women often (but not always) read the Prayer for the...
My daughter practicing the NY/Philadelphia melody for Ma Nishtana.
The Torah procession, lockdown style.
Do any of the S&P synagogues use la Despedida for the final day of Hanukkah?I don’t believe so, but am curious as to why.