We will be celebrating the festival of Purim very soon, so I would like to give you an overview of the history, background and significance of this festival. The Purim story begins about 900 years after the Exodus from Egypt. The Jews had been living in Israel continually, since they first entered with Joshua. For 410 years, King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem had been the focal point of Jewish spiritual ...
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I have recently been teaching some ideas from two great Rabbis of Prague, the Maharal and Rabbi Yechezkel Landau (Noda BiYehudah). Prague was an extraordinary center of the Jewish community and Jewish learning. In Prague, the Altneu Shul, has been the main Synagogue of Prague and has hosted services almost continuously since about the 14th century. In that shul one can see the chair in which the Maharal sat and ...
Read MoreGateways has partnered with the new Jerusalem Gardens Hotel and Spa (formerly the Leonardo Inn). This alliance will enable us to run a myriad of unique educational and social programs and retreats that range from forums on contemporary issues, Jewish thought, relationships, and parenting to inspirational Shabbat and Jewish holiday programming. Click here to visit the Jerusalem Retreats page.
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