“Who is like you, O Lord, among the celestials; who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, working wonders.” (Exodus 15:11) Parashat B’shalach is one of the better known episodes in the Bible, thanks in part to Cecille B. DeMille and Disney Studios. Freed from slavery, the Israelites reach the Reed Sea, only to discover [...]
Parashat Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16)
January 17, 2013 | Leave a Comment
“This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.” (Exodus 12:2) Parashat Bo brings the final two plagues, darkness and the slaying of the Egyptian first-born, which lead, finally, to the Israelites’ release from slavery. The parasha (portion) begins with [...]
Martin Luther King Jr. and the Upcoming Israeli Elections
January 15, 2013 | Leave a Comment
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born 84 years ago on January 15, 1929. A towering figure in the history of the American civil rights movement, King has become symbolic of what it means to be a visionary, a leader, and a believer. Exactly one week from today, on January 22, close to five million Israelis [...]
PBS to Show Documentary Premiered at JCCs of North America Biennial
January 14, 2013 | Leave a Comment
On January 31, most PBS stations across the U.S. will broadcast the documentary renamed “Space Shuttle Columbia: Mission of Hope” about the Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon and his participation in the tragic flight of SS Columbia. The film, originally titled “An Article of Hope,” was premiered at the JCCs of North America Biennial in Atlanta [...]
Arts Professionals Meeting at JCC Association Offices
January 12, 2013 | Leave a Comment
Right after the close of the APAP conference (Association of Performing Arts Presenters), in New York City on January 15, more than forty JCC arts and culture professionals will gather at JCC Association’s midtown offices to meet each other, discuss shared interests, and brainstorm about their upcoming programs and seasons. After a working lunch and [...]
Parashat Va’era (Exodus 6:2-9:35)
January 10, 2013 | Leave a Comment
“And I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God…” (Exodus 6:7) Parashat Va’era describes Moses’ attempts to get Pharoah to free the Israelites and opens the dramatic sequence of Pharoah’s intransigence in the face of the plagues. The opening of the parasha (portion)often is overlooked, which is a shame, [...]
Parashat Sh’mot (Exodus 1:1-6:1)
January 3, 2013 | Leave a Comment
“God heard their moaning and God remembered His covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. “(Exodus 2:24) Parashat Sh’mot is the first parasha (portion) in the Book of Sh’mot, known in English as Exodus (an abbreviation of the Greek, Exodus Aegyptous.) It establishes continuity with the end of the Book of Genesis by repeating [...]
January, 2013 Website of the Month – JCC Lancaster in Milwaukee, WI
January 1, 2013 | Leave a Comment
JCC Association is pleased to announce that the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the JCC Facebook of the Month. Visit their website: Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center Please feel free to e-mail us suggestions regarding any JCC sites that you feel deserve recognition during the [...]
Parashat Vayechi (Genesis 47:28-50:26)
December 27, 2012 | Leave a Comment
“Jacob lived seventeen years in the land of Egypt, so that the span of Jacob’s life came to one hundred and forty-seven years.” (Genesis 47:28)) Parashat Vayechi both closes the book of B’reishit (Genesis) and is the last parasha (portion) for 2012. Three important narrative cycles come together in Vayechi. The patriarchal cycle and [...]
JCC Association Staff Begins Visit to Israel in the South
December 27, 2012 | Leave a Comment
December 5, 2012–Undeterred by recent turbulence, JCC Association, the leadership network of the Jewish Community Center Movement, is leaving on a 10-day staff seminar to Israel on December 8. To show their support to those affected by recent rocket attacks, the group of 25 staff members will head to the south of Israel as soon [...]
