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Jewish Communities of Vermont Blog
Our blog shares posts reflecting on Jewish life in Vermont and linking to resources related to Jewish culture, food, family, and leading a Jewish life.
We also highlight Jewish organizations and events in Vermont and beyond!
PJ Library In Vermont November News
🎉 Story Time at Northern Nosh! 📚
Come listen to a fun PJ Library story with Alison Hill on November 9th at 12:30pm!
We’ll be reading together in the sanctuary at Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, and there will be lots of other fun activities for kids all around the event too! 🤩
Alison can’t wait to meet you and share a super special story! ✨
Religion and politics in jewish life
Among tightly interwoven threads that form Judaism’s cultural fabric are religion and politics. They’re inseparable parts of our way of life. Jewish religious identity ispolitical in character.
Governor's Inauguration Brachah
Governor's Inauguration Brachah
Coming together in the midst of winter's chill,
help us, G-d of Life,
to feel the warmth among us
gathering by the civic haarth (hearth),
as we wish mazel tov, from the Hebrew, “good luck”
to Governor Scott, the statewide officers, and the legislators
in their positions serving Vermonters.
As I consider my words before these elected officials,
I keep thinking about some conversations with folks in Vermont—
each of them also created in Your image—
conversations that are keeping me up at night,
and that call me to action.
Local teen Trip to montreal reflections
This year’s Jew Crew trip was a great success! We had an amazing time in Montreal. We met over 50 young Jews from Toronto and Montreal, and listened to powerful speakers and musicians at Friday Night Services at Temple Emanu-el-Beth-Shalom in Westmount. We attended Saturday morning services at The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, where some of our kids participated in the service! We did a zip-line across the Saint Lawrence River, and explored Chinatown. We had a beautiful Havdalah service on the roof of our hotel, and explored more of the city at night.
Rabbi Tobie Weisman’s devotional given at the Vermont senate 4/10/24
Rabbi Tobie Weisman's Devotional given at the Vermont Senate 4.10.24
Blog Highlight
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Blog Highlight 〰️
memorial for Women Wage Peace activist Vivian Silver, killed on October 7, 2023, at Kibbutz Be'eri.
(photo credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
Passover 2025: A ‘midrashic’ lesson for these days
By MICHAEL M. COHEN
APRIL 19, 2025
“In light of this agonizing and ongoing reality, a quote from the midrash can be a challenge to embrace, as it forces us to think and look outward at our enemies in a different light.
Reb Zalman [a founder of the Jewish Renewal movement in the 1970s] taught that during Sukkot, we go into the mitzvah – the sukkah; while during Passover, the mitzvah goes into us – the matzah. This insight highlights the spiritual dialectic of inner and outer, interior and exterior.
In today’s Torah reading for the seventh day of Passover, we commentate and relive our moment of liberation at the Sea of Reeds. That reading includes the Children of Israel singing, led respectfully by Moses and Miriam, in praise of and thanks to God for our redemption and freedom from slavery.” Read full post on The Jerusalem Post
https://m.jpost.com/judaism/jewish-holidays/article-850544