Kol Ramah

With the celebration of Simchat Torah this Sunday, the annual cycle of Torah Reading comes to an end with the concluding chapters of Deuteronomy [33 and 34] and immediately begins again with the opening chapter of Genesis [plus the first three verses of chapter 2]. So this week, my colleagues Rabbis Eliot Malomet and Jeremy Kalmanofsky and I rabbi Barry Chesler discuss the meaning of Simchat Torah as well as Sh'mini Atzeret, observed this Saturday. There is never enough time to get to everything on our agenda, but we cover enough, I trust, to keep it interesting! Shabbat Shalom, Chag Same'ach, and a great weekend to one and all!!

This week is a special edition of Parashah Talk, featuring discussion about the holiday of Sukkot, the symbolism of the sukkah and the arba'ah minim [the four species, based on Leviticus 23:40], and the significance of the Book of Ecclesiastes [Qohelet in Hebrew], for this time of year. As always great thanks to, Rabbis Eliot Malomet and Jeremy Kalmanofsky and Barry Chesler!

Asis Eshkol by Camp Ramah in the Berkshires

Chorale by Camp Ramah in the Berkshires

Papir Iz Doch Vyse by Camp Ramah in the Berkshires

Shimu by Camp Ramah in the Berkshires

In 1965 at the very beginnings of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Musicologist Velvel Pasternak, David Tilman and Aviva Kligfeld (Rosenbloom) produced and recorded this vinyl at the brand new Camp Ramah in the Berksires. Tilman and Kligfeld went on to careers as cantors. Thanks to Max Silverstone JTS Cantorial School Class of 2024 for bringing this to Radio Kol Ramah!

In 1965 at the very beginnings of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Musicologist Velvel Pasternak, David Tilman and Aviva Kligfeld (Rosenbloom) produced and recorded this vinyl at the brand new Camp Ramah in the Berksires. Tilman and Kligfeld went on to careers as cantors. Thanks to Max Silverstone JTS Cantorial School Class of 2024 for bringing this to Radio Kol Ramah!

In 1965 at the very beginnings of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Musicologist Velvel Pasternak, David Tilman and Aviva Kligfeld (Rosenbloom) produced and recorded this vinyl at the brand new Camp Ramah in the Berksires. Tilman and Kligfeld went on to careers as cantors. Thanks to Max Silverstone JTS Cantorial School Class of 2024 for bringing this to Radio Kol Ramah!

In 1965 at the very beginnings of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Musicologist Velvel Pasternak, David Tilman and Aviva Kligfeld (Rosenbloom) produced and recorded this vinyl at the brand new Camp Ramah in the Berksires. Tilman and Kligfeld went on to careers as cantors. Thanks to Max Silverstone JTS Cantorial School Class of 2024 for bringing this to Radio Kol Ramah!

In 1965 at the very beginnings of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Musicologist Velvel Pasternak, David Tilman and Aviva Kligfeld (Rosenbloom) produced and recorded this vinyl at the brand new Camp Ramah in the Berksires. Tilman and Kligfeld went on to careers as cantors. Thanks to Max Silverstone JTS Cantorial School Class of 2024 for bringing this to Radio Kol Ramah!

In 1965 at the very beginnings of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Musicologist Velvel Pasternak, David Tilman and Aviva Kligfeld (Rosenbloom) produced and recorded this vinyl at the brand new Camp Ramah in the Berksires. Tilman and Kligfeld went on to careers as cantors. Thanks to Max Silverstone JTS Cantorial School Class of 2024 for bringing this to Radio Kol Ramah!

In 1965 at the very beginnings of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Musicologist Velvel Pasternak, David Tilman and Aviva Kligfeld (Rosenbloom) produced and recorded this vinyl at the brand new Camp Ramah in the Berksires. Tilman and Kligfeld went on to careers as cantors. Thanks to Max Silverstone JTS Cantorial School Class of 2024 for bringing this to Radio Kol Ramah!

In 1965 at the very beginnings of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Musicologist Velvel Pasternak, David Tilman and Aviva Kligfeld (Rosenbloom) produced and recorded this vinyl at the brand new Camp Ramah in the Berksires. Tilman and Kligfeld went on to careers as cantors. Thanks to Max Silverstone JTS Cantorial School Class of 2024 for bringing this to Radio Kol Ramah!

In 1965 at the very beginnings of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Musicologist Velvel Pasternak, David Tilman and Aviva Kligfeld (Rosenbloom) produced and recorded this vinyl at the brand new Camp Ramah in the Berksires. Tilman and Kligfeld went on to careers as cantors. Thanks to Max Silverstone JTS Cantorial School Class of 2024 for bringing this to Radio Kol Ramah!

In 1965 at the very beginnings of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Musicologist Velvel Pasternak, David Tilman and Aviva Kligfeld (Rosenbloom) produced and recorded this vinyl at the brand new Camp Ramah in the Berksires. Tilman and Kligfeld went on to careers as cantors. Thanks to Max Silverstone JTS Cantorial School Class of 2024 for bringing this to Radio Kol Ramah!

In 1965 at the very beginnings of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Musicologist Velvel Pasternak, David Tilman and Aviva Kligfeld (Rosenbloom) produced and recorded this vinyl at the brand new Camp Ramah in the Berksires. Tilman and Kligfeld went on to careers as cantors. Thanks to Max Silverstone JTS Cantorial School Class of 2024 for bringing this to Radio Kol Ramah!

The parashah is Ha'azinu, Deuteronomy 32. This Shabbat is also known as Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat of Return, after the 1st word of the haftarah, Hosea 14:2. The close connection between the word shuvah and t'shuvah [commonly translated as repentance] has been explored in biblical interpretation and Jewish theology for hundreds of years! We discuss some verses from the weekly Torah reading, some verses from the haftarah [Hosea 14:2-10, Micah 7:18-20, Joel 2:15-27] talk about Moses near the end of his life, and touch upon some other issues, all in a half an hour or so! With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom and G'mar Chatimah Tovah, a good seal in the Book of Life on Yom Kippur!

As 5780 winds to a close and we begin to usher in 5781, I wanted to express my gratitude to my chaveirim, Rabbis Eliot Malomet and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. For the last 6 months we have met once a week on Zoom to reprise our camp radio show Parashah Talk. For me personally, the opportunity to connect to my good buddies in the non-camp season has been one of the decided pluses of covid19. While I often study Torah alone, Torah study is actually a team sport, and I am thankful that I am part of a team that continues to meet and talk Torah. I hope this augurs well for the coming year! To all who observe, please accept my wishes for a Shabbat Shalom and a Shanah Tovah U-m'tukah, a good and sweet year. To everyone else, a great weekend! Rabbi Barry Chesler

This week is a double parashah, Nitzavim/Va-yelekh [Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30], but we didn't quite make it into Va-yelekh! We spent a fair amount of time on the opening verses of Nitzavim [29:9-14], especially verse 14, in considering who the people who were not standing with the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan were. We touched upon the classic verse Lo bashamayim hee [30:12] with nary a mention of the famous story about the Oven of Akhnai, which may be a first for us, or for rabbis anywhere!. And, we concluded with remarks about Rabbi Eliot Malomet's favorite verse in the Torah [30:19], where the Israelites have set before them the blessing and the curse, and are instructed to choose life, Together with Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky and Rabbi Barry Chesler this is this week's Parashah Talk. Give a listen!