Author: Congregation Beth El

Celebrating the Birthday of the Universe

September 2, 2018

By Robin Jacobson. “I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.” –The Lorax by Dr. Seuss According to tradition, Rosh Hashanah is the birthday celebration of Creation. …

Rabbi Akiva: The Novel

July 5, 2018

By Robin Jacobson.   Rabbi Akiva (c.50-135 C.E.) is a storied scholar and hero in Jewish tradition. His name appears more than 1,300 times in the Babylonian Talmud alone. Following the …

Dealing with Dictators

June 12, 2018

By Robin Jacobson.  Some historical events cast a long shadow, and some words, like “appeasement,” are loaded. Today, whenever a government negotiates with a dictator – whether it’s Kim Jong …

Saw You at Sinai

May 1, 2018

By Robin Jacobson.  Every year at Shavuot, when we celebrate the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, we encounter one of the most fascinating, mind-bending, hard-to-wrap-your-head-around concepts in Judaism. …

Being Israeli:The Novels of Eshkol Nevo

April 12, 2018

By Robin Jacobson.  In the two years since our daughter Minna made aliyah, my husband and I have been captivated by her tales of life in Israel. But there is …

Brave Like Queen Esther: Celebrating Activism in Jewish Children’s Books

March 1, 2018

By Robin Jacobson.  Jewish texts and stories, however ancient, often seem eerily relevant to present-day events. This year, the Purim story reads like a newly reported sexual harassment scandal. Beauty …

Life as a Refugee: Children’s Books

February 1, 2018

By Robin Jacobson.   “You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt” Exod. 23:9. Can reading …

When Books and Life Entwine

January 1, 2018

By Robin Jacobson.  Children’s literature abounds with whimsical stories about characters that magically wander off the page into the real world. But for some adult book lovers and their special …

Listen to Her Voice: Israeli Women Writers

December 4, 2017

By Robin Jacobson. With Israel’s 70th birthday approaching, this is a good time to read and celebrate Israeli authors. Over the past several years, Beth El’s Book Club has read …

Old Stuff or Precious Treasure?

November 2, 2017

By Robin Jacobson.   Kids dig in the backyard searching for buried treasure. Adults roam flea markets hoping to spot the one precious item hidden in the jumble of useless odds …