Mezuzahs…. They may be wood, metal, glass, Lucite or perhaps modern composite materials.  Some are ornate and decorative, while others are plain and simple.  You will find them gracing the doorways of Jewish homes and institutions around the world, as commanded by the biblical injunction, “And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates...”

Mezuzahs, according to tradition, should be placed on outside doorways as well as on the doorway of every room in the home, except the bathroom.  On a home’s exterior, mezuzahs announce to passersby that Jews live inside, some say.  But rabbis suggest that the real purpose is to remind the occupants of their heritage, responsibilities and their connection with God...  [Continued]

Does a mezuzah on the door and a menorah on the mantel make a home Jewish?

According to Rabbi Noa Kushner, that depends on what being Jewish connotes to you and your family. Kushner, a rabbi at Congregation Rodef Sholom in San Rafael, says the most important part of making your home Jewish is “fleshing out what it means to you.”  And that can vary widely.

“Does it mean I go to Israel periodically, or I read the New York Times, or I belong to a Jewish museum or a JCC?  Or does it mean “I say the Sh’ma at bedtime with my kids or I don’t turn on the lights on Shabbat?  Each person needs to figure it out,” she says... [Continued]

Passover arrived Monday, April 2 at sundown. And after Passover? Immediately with the very first Seder we begin counting the Omer. What is this? The Omer are the 49 days until the next Jewish festival, Shavuot. The days of counting are considered by the rabbis to be days of "semi- mourning." Mourning? In the midst of a glorious spring? How can that be? [Continued]		Please join us at The Contemporary Jewish Museum, 121 Steuart Street, San Francisco, on Thursday, April 19 for a reception and private viewing of The Jewish Identity Project: New American Photography.  The exhibit features newly commissioned photography, video, and multimedia projects by 13 emerging and mid-career artists... [Continued]
Yom HaShoah, the day of remembrance for those who died in the Holocaust will be observed this month.  In Marin, three generations of speakers will remember the past and look to the future at a memorial service and commemoration, on Sunday, April 15, at 6 p.m. at Congregation Rodef Sholom, 170 N. San Pedro Rd., San Rafael.  All are welcome at this free event.  Call 415-491-7960 with questions... [Continued]		Yom HaShoah, the day of remembrance for those who died in the Holocaust, will be observed this month.  In the North Peninsula, Gloria Hollander Lyon, a survivor of Auschwitz, will present Pivotal Moments: the Daily Struggle for Survival on Monday, April 16, at 7 p.m., at Temple Beth Jacob, 1550 Alameda de las Pulgas, Redwood City.  The program will be preceded by a reading of names at 6:30 p.m... [Continued]

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