Posts by Jacob Oslick
120 posts
Minutes From the Mikveh Israel archives ordering the Hekhal draped in black to commemorate the deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (on display tonight during our Annual Religious Fellowship Dinner with Christ Church).
An interesting tidbit about Tisha B'Ab at Mikveh Israel that I recently stumbled upon. After the unification of Jerusalem in 1967, Mikveh Israel (at least during Rabbi Muleah's tenure) stopped the practice of covering the Hekhal with black and -- after the declaration marking the number of years since Jerusalem's destruction -- added a declaration setting forth the number of years since Jerusalem...
Something I noticed in the Leeser fast day books - his use, in an English note, of the phrase “Holy Spirit.”This is, of course, a perfectly correct translation of the phrase “ruah hakodesh.” But I don’t think I’ve seen it used in any other Jewish source given the overtly Christian connotations of the English phrase (so much that I did a double take on Leeser’s use of it).No real comment here, jus...
Apologies if this has been asked before, but what is the origin of the "Morir Habemos" greeting on Tisha B'Ab. I vaguely recall hearing that it might have been borrowed from a Good Friday practice in some Catholic monastic orders, but would love if someone had more concrete information.
Purim Megillah Reading & Arbit last year at Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia. . . Courtesy of Rabino Manny Vinas.
Perhaps not strictly S&P. . . But the pre-Shabbat (late Friday afternoon) festivities led to one of our largest Shabbat crowds in years.
For any of us who can find our way to the holy city of Ahavat Ahim (i.e., Philadelphia) for Purim.
You can now support Congregation Mikveh Israel - the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue of Philadelphia - while shopping with Amazon!!! For those who would like to do something small to help one of the few remaining, living S&P congregations out there, we have registered for the "Amazon Smile" program, through which Amazon donates 0.5% of customer sales to a charity of your choice. So, if you designat...
This group is specifically mentioned as enabling the Talled di Seta to take off in producing silk tallitot.
Our Menorah Lighting and traditional Hanukkah Piñata at Congregation Mikveh Israel
Our Sukkah at Congregation Mikveh Israel.
We are sorry to announce that the Galain honor of RABBI ALBERT GABBAIwhich was to be held on Sunday, November 11thhas been postponed. We will advise you of thenew date as soon as it is available.
August 13th at Shearith Israel.
Please join us on Sunday, November 11 at 3 p.m. to honor Rabbi Albert Gabbai at the Congregation Mikveh Israel Gala.
During the Mikveh Israel Shabbaton with Rev. Nachshon Rodrigues Pereira, Joshua Mendes and I started talking about planning a trip up to Montreal to see our sister congregation (my wife and I were already planning on going in late-summer). Anyone else have any interest? My current thinking is Labor Day
I just learned that my local Sephardi synagogue does not recite the Azharot on Shavuot. It is nominally of Salonikan origin, but today is largely generic "Israeli" in its nusach (with a few surviving Ladino and S&P fragments). I was kind of surprised. Outside of the tiny S&P world, who recites the Azharot?
I regretfully was not there last night, but apparently a visitor/friend to Mikveh Israel streamed our entire Purim service with Megillah reading over the internet. It's received over 3,500 views to date.For those interested:
If any members of this group are looking for a Western Sephardi Passover experience and can make the trek to Philadelphia, we would welcome you all at Congregation Mikveh Israel. We will be having communal seders as well as Pesach lunches and other holiday meals. Hotels in the area go for about $125-$150 a night. Hol HaMoed take-out meals will also be available. On the whole, we are far cheaper ...
Coming up at Mikveh Israel in a few weeks. . . I hope that at least some of you can attend.We will also be having a special Shabbaton the weekend before the conference (Nov. 3-4).
The new Koren book contains Ein Kelokenu in modern Spanish. It's not the Ladino version seen in Ottoman Sephardi congregations. Is this done in Amsterdam. When did it start?
A nice little article about the tiny community where my father lives, although most of the Jews who live there today are either foreigners or transplants from Mexico City.
For anyone who will be in the Philadelphia area and is interested: Congregation Mikveh Israel 44 N. 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 RABBI ALBERT GABBAI invites the congregation to join him SUNDAY -- MARCH 5, 2017 -- 12:00 NOON OUR CHERISHED MINHAG We will discussOPENING THE HEKHALCARRYING THE SEFER TORAHACCOMPAGNHARLEVANTARBEING CALLED TO THE TORAHHAFTARAH READERBELLS AND BANDSKAHAL AND TEB...
For those with a connection to the UK, why? Why? https://www.facebook.com/sandpuk/posts/1174861729247109:0
Too bad Porto isn't a "true" S&P, or so I've been told.
When did the S&P communities stop using soft matzah?