Rabbi Steven Schwarzman on Twitter

Israel rescues 4 of the 100s of civilian hostages taken by Hamas in their Oct. 7 invasion of Israel. If the news you follow from propaganda sources says this was a "massacre" with no mention of it being a hostage rescue, you should find better sources for your information.

.@DeborahLyonsSE met with members of our Jewish community yesterday to hear personal experiences of antisemitism in #yeg. Thank you for demonstrating your support and validating their stories.

US Secretary of State Blinken: "What is striking to me is that even as we hear many countries urging an end to this conflict, I hear virtually no one demanding of Hamas that it stop hiding behind civilians, that it lay down its arms, that it surrender. This is over tomorrow if…

Hamas has rejected an Israeli proposed week-long truce/ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of about 40 hostages, including all women and children the terror group still holds- WSJ

Notice the silence from the pro-ceasefire crowd 🦗

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New mention of Shma Koleinu: A Jewish People’s Commentary on the Siddur

From poeticaperture.com, on

Shma Koleinu: A Jewish People’s Commentary on the Siddur

“This book is a collection of beautiful reflections on words from our prayerbook. Rabbi Schwarzman and others (rabbis, cantors, etc.) reach into the meaning behind the prayers to bring forth stories, lessons, or thought-provoking insights.”

“God knows the numbers of the stars, calling each one by name. We are part of a universe that is not left unattended. Our own part in it may be small, but that does not diminish our importance to God. The stars count, and so do we.” ~ Rabbi Steven Schwarzman writing about Psalm 147

Rabbi Schwarzman at an outdoor wedding

It’s Jewish wedding season in Montreal

…and everywhere else, too. After Tisha B’Av, Jews can get married, and it seems many of them are this month.

It’s a real blessing to be able to marry a Jewish couple, and it is one of the best parts of being a rabbi. I really enjoy meeting with the couples, sometimes a year in advance, and sometimes only weeks in advance. Getting to know them and how they met, and seeing their love for each other, is a true pleasure, and guiding them through the process of preparing for their wedding – ordering a ketubah, explaining and personalizing the traditional Jewish marriage ceremony, explaining kosher witnesses and kosher rings and all the rest – leads up to the wedding day itself. And the holiness of serving as their wedding officiant (the province’s term, not mine) under their chupah is just magical.

Yes, the Jewish calendar does allow Jewish weddings on some days and not on others. The two main periods in which Jewish weddings are not done are the omer, the period from Passover until Lag Ba’Omer, and the three weeks from the 17th of Tammuz through the 9th of Av. But not to worry: before you book a wedding venue and a florist and a band and a crew of photographers and videographers, meet with your rabbi to determine whether the date you want is kosher, and to make sure the rabbi you want is available.

More info on planning a Montreal Jewish wedding.

 

Rabbi Steven Schwarzman on Facebook

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Rabbi Steven Schwarzman

Rabbi Steven Schwarzman

Rabbi and author

What's Hanukkah all about? How did it begin? What does it mean today? Also, practical questions, like when does Hanukkah begin this year, and how do you light the candles?

Hanukkah - The Real Story is a one-hour lesson that will answer all these questions and more.This Hanukkah lesson is part of our Introduction to Judaism course, and like all our classes, it's designed for non-Jews who want to learn about Judaism and for Jews who want to learn what they didn't as kids. You'll learn the origins of Hanukkah (really not about the oil!), how it developed over the centuries, how we observe it today, what Hanukkah means today, and even how to say/sing the Hanukkah blessings.You'll enjoy this Hanukkah lesson if you're Jewish, and you'll enjoy it if you're not Jewish but considering converting to Judaism (or you just want to learn about Judaism).All for $18. See www.judaism.online/hanukkah-the-real-story and learn about Hanukkah before the holiday begins. ... See MoreSee Less

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