by Cantor Sally L. Neff | Jul 23, 2010 | D'var Torah, Deuteronomy, Judaism
“You shall love the Eternal One, your G-d, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” These strange words, made familiar by sheer repetition in the V’ahavtah, appear in this week’s Torah portion, V’etchanan. A commandment to love? It doesn’t...
by Cantor Sally L. Neff | Jul 18, 2010 | Judaism
This coming Tuesday we will mark the Jewish observance of Tisha B’av. Tisha B’av, or the 9th day of the month of Av, is a national day of mourning for the Jewish people. According to tradition, a large number of disasters befell our people on this day. The most...
by Cantor Sally L. Neff | Jun 29, 2010 | Judaism
I had the unfortunate occasion to be present for many family recitations of the mourner’s Kaddish when I was a child. After my grandparents died, my mom and dad always went to shul for their yahrzeits. When my mother’s father passed away, I attended...
by Cantor Sally L. Neff | Jun 6, 2010 | Judaism, Knitting
My mother is an incredibly talented artist. For many years now, she has used her talents for the sake of hiddur mitzvah – beautifying the mitzvah – of tallit. She painted her first tallit for the occasion of my Bat Mitzvah. It was purple flowers on white...
by Cantor Sally L. Neff | Jun 1, 2010 | Judaism
I walked into the hospice room with a profound sadness. This was no stranger, but she also wasn’t family, a congregant, or even a close friend. She was a mentor. She was a woman who helped teach me how to be the Cantor I am today. She was one of the strongest...