Chava's mitzvah of why do we hang a mezuzah on our door posts?

After I have been researching all about my mitzvot. I have learned a lot about why we hang a mezuzah on our door post. The reason is because it shows us that ה׳ is always watching. ה׳  is also brought down Angels from above and getting rid of out bad things that we have done. In the mezuzah there is parchment that had words written on it and it is perfect and the peters are perfect the spaces are perfect because those words that is in the mezuzah is everything that ה׳ said. If it is not perfect they have to start all over. What I will take into my life is that I will always know that g-d is protecting me and the home I live in. I will also continue to kiss my hand after I touch the mezuzah every time I go in and out of the room.

-chava

Funeral and Burial Laws

Since I have begun studying the death laws and funeral laws I have learned a ton. This topic isn’t so popular in school and we haven’t necessarily learned a lot about it. For this reason I have begun to explore and delve into something I have never learned of before. From the routine to specific laws there is a lot to learn, but this is definitely something I enjoy and am seeking to learn more about as I continue to do this project.

In the beginning I was inexperienced about the topic and only knew vague facts about the death in Judaism. When a person dies they are as quickly as possible buried. However the process is very quick there are lot of details and steps put into the process. The process includes shutting of the eyes, body not lonesome, dressed and cleaned, and prepared for the casket.

This process is done with special care from the group of people who watch over the body and cleanse it. In addition this process is very time consuming and detailed. I have learned a lot and have been able to learn so much about this topic.

Reflection on Mrs. Kutliroff's Talk

After hearing Mrs. Kutliroff's moving talk yesterday about her journey to becoming an observant, committed Jew, I'd like for each of you to respond in the comments section below with your thoughts:  Which specific idea or story that she spoke about made the biggest impression on you, and why? Which aspect of her struggles or challenges in becoming Orthodox do you identify with the most, and why?  Finally, what is one question you would want to ask Mrs. Kutliroff that you might not have thought of yesterday, or didn't have the time to ask?

I will be sharing this blog with Mrs. Kutliroff (!) so that she can see your comments and questions, so please make sure that you complete this assignment tonight, October 28th, so that she'll be able to reply in a timely fashion.

Finally, here is a link to a PBS segment about the practice of Tahara, featuring none other than my own grandmother, Mrs. Nancy Klein :).
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2004/02/06/february-6-2004-jewish-burial-practices/1794/

Interviews

After spending a significant period of time studying the Rambam's 13 Principles of Belief, and delving into the basics of what we need to know about G-d, our next step will be to see how those ideas translate into the personal beliefs and lives of real Jewish people, on an individual level.

Assignment: 

* Choose 3 sincerely religious Jewish people whom you personally know about and respect, and write a one paragraph biography for each.  These could be people you know-friends, relatives, rabbis, teachers, advisors, etc-or even people you merely know of, but have admiration for, due to their qualities of devotion, sincerity, commitment to Torah, or strength of character.

*Then choose 1 of those people to interview, either in person or in print, regarding what they believe about G-d, why they believe in G-d, and how their belief in G-d affects their life.

*You must write between 6-10 questions to ask in your interview.  Questions should be “open-ended” and avoid  yes/no or other one word answers.  The goal is to elicit their ideas about faith in God in a way that may prove to be inspiring and enlightening for us all.  

*Your biographies and questions must be prepared by the end of class today.  They should be shared with me in a Google Doc titled "[your name] Biographies and Questions". Your interview should be completed and posted in a comment below before class on Wednesday, October 22, either in written format or via a working link to an audio or video recording.

*Finally, reply to at least 2 classmates' interviews in the comments section.

סוכות Videos

To prepare for חג הסוכות, which begins Wednesday evening, I'd like each of you to find and share a video that pertains to a major theme or aspect of the holiday.  Watch it, and then copy it into a comment below, along with a short description of the main ideas.  Then watch and enjoy your classmates' videos.

חג שמח!!

Thinking About יום כפור

In my absence today, I'd like for each of you to spend the period doing some reflection about Yom Kippur, which is coming this Shabbos, October 4th.

Assignment:  Please listen to one of the audio shiurim (Torah discussions), OR read the article linked below. When you are done, please write a comment on this blog post with a 1-2 paragraph summary of the main ideas discussed, AND your own personal thoughts on how the shiur or article changed your understanding of Yom Kippur.
When writing your summary and reflection, make sure to use proper spelling and grammar, write in full sentences, and organize your thoughts well.  This assignment is due TONIGHT, Thursday September 30th, by 11 PM.  By TOMORROW at 11 PM, you need to respond to at least one classmate's comment as well.

*Helpful Tip #1: While listening to your chosen audio shiur, periodically pause the recording and take notes on what is being said, so that you can keep track of the important ideas.  This will make writing your summary a lot easier.

*Helpful Tip #2:  Write your comment in a Google doc first, and then copy/paste it to the blog in case something goes wrong when you hit submit.  Make sure to contact me right away if you have any technical difficulties.

Article by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

Audio Shiur by Charlie Harary

Audio Shiur by Rabbi Ari Kahn

Class Library

By now you've all selected some reading material from our class library-hopefully you all chose something that seemed genuinely interesting to you.  In order to complete our next blog assignment, you will need to have read a couple of chapters (2-3 at minimum) from your chosen book.

Assignment:  WHY, WHAT, HOW, CONNECT

In the comment space below, please write a 2 paragraph summary detailing why you thought your particular book looked like something worth reading, what you have learned from the book so far, and how what you've read has changed your thinking about a basic Jewish belief.  Finally, connect something that you have just read to an idea we discussed this past week in our conversations about the Rambam's 13 Principles of Faith.

After you have written your own response, please write another comment with your thoughts on someone else's response.

This assignment is due before class on Wednesday, September 17th.