The Kohanim that served in the Mishkan and the Beis Hamikdash wore extremely fashionable clothing. Even a superficial perusing of the parsha will clue you in on their wardrobe. Was exquisite clothing such a necessity to fulfill their obligations such as was required? After all, the main objective was to…
Jennifer Dechtman’s connection to The Jewish Experience is deeply personal and unexpectedly full circle. Long before TJE became a familiar name, Jennifer felt profoundly supported by Rabbi Ahron Wasserman and his wife, Hadassah, during her early years in Denver. “They were a big part of my time here,” she shared,…
Connection When It Matters MostConversations with Madison Esses & Aaron Polster Madison Esses: Finding Belonging through Invitation For Madison Esses, finding Olami wasn’t just about learning more Judaism. It was…
Jewish Joke of the Week: The Cinema Critic A man walks into a movie theater… followed by an elephant. The ticket clerk blinks. “Sir. You cannot bring an elephant into…
The Mishkan was an architect’s dream. Everything was measured and ‘clicked’ together perfectly. Tapestries and beautifully woven embroideries adorned the ceiling of the Mishkan. The inner altar was made of pure gold and the draperies that surrounded the external area of the Mishkan were exquisite. The vessels that were contained…
Judaism You Want to Show Up ForA Conversation with Adam and Barbara Moskowitz Adam and Barbara Moskowitz are leaders in the Denver Jewish community, partners in life, and deeply committed…
A Jewish grandmother calls her grandson to make sure he knows how to find her new apartment. She does not trust GPS. GPS never raised a child, never hosted a Passover, never once remembered who likes the end piece of the kugel. “Listen carefully,” she says. “You come to the…
This Week in Pictures: a snapshot of Jewish life in motion. From Rabbi Leban sharing Clean Speech at the Aish Conference, to a thoughtful and connecting evening with Laya Saul, to the Olami mentorship group gathered around a table for dinner and learning, this week held learning, conversation, and community…
When Robert Warren and Elsa Sackett Warren first found The Jewish Experience, they were searching for connection. Newly engaged and new to Denver, Robert was looking for ways to engage with Jewish life that felt deeper than what he had known growing up, yet still welcoming and accessible. “I was…
The Torah discusses receiving the Torah in two different parshios. In the previous parsha, Yisro, Moshe returns with Hashem’s offer to give us the Torah and with that acceptance we merited that the Torah was given to us on Mt. Sinai. However, at the end of this parsha certain offerings…
A man adopts a new dog. Not just any dog. A very Jewish dog. He names him Einstein and proudly tells everyone how smart he is. After a few weeks of training, he finally invites a neighbor over to witness Einstein’s brilliance. “Einstein!” he calls. The dog trots in, alert,…
Moshe had two sons Gershom and Eliezer. Gershom was named for Moshe’s seclusion when he was a stranger in a foreign land, Midian. The name Eliezer alluded to Moshe’s miraculous escape from Pharoah’s executioner. Even though he was slated to die Hashem protected him and he was able to get…
Irving, an older man, is sitting outside a small roadside bed and breakfast when he sees a pickup truck rumbling down the dirt road. “Good afternoon,” Irving says. “Afternoon,” replies the driver. “Passing through?” Irving asks.
Ibn Ezra questions why was there a fear that if the people leave Egypt and travel though the land of the Philistines then they may encounter a combat situation and return to Egypt. The amount of able-bodied men was 600,000 and many more and they were also armed.
A woman calls the hospital switchboard and asks, “Hello, I was wondering if you could tell me how Mrs. Kaplan in room 317 is doing.”
Moshe was the emissary of Hashem to approach Pharoah and demand that he release the nation from its bondage. However, when he speaks with him he adds how long will it be until you humble yourself in front of Hashem. That additional message seemingly has no connection to the mandate…
Learning launched. Tables filled. Community in motion. From the start of new classes to the first moments of TJU, and from a gala prize turning into a Shabbat at home, this week captured what it looks like when Jewish life is lived in real time. Scroll through for a few…
Two men are waiting on a train platform late in the afternoon. One is younger, clearly in a hurry. The other is older, calm, and completely unbothered. The younger man glances at his phone, frowns, then turns to the older man and asks politely, “Excuse me, do you have the…
Although Moshe complained to Hashem that the people were suffering terribly under Pharoah’s enslavement, his concern was that the nation was undergoing pain and agony that was too much. He was reprimanded for his protest and Hashem explained to him the process which they were going through. The original covenant,…
The Torah enumerates the total count of the nation when they arrived in Egypt. Then we are reminded that Yosef was in Egypt. Rashi explains that the Torah is emphasizing that Yosef withstood all the difficulties which the culture presented him with. They were a nation deeply entrenched in immorality.…
