Archive for 2017
Kiddush & Building Community: Humanistic Liturgy
This community-centered blessing over the wine was composed by Machar: The Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism. Typical of this movement, founded in 1963 by the late Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine, the blessing omits any
Hand-Washing & Silence on Shabbat
This home video explores the custom of refraining from speaking between washing one’s hands and making the blessing over the bread. Referencing a wide variety of halachic sources, Rabbi Drew Kaplan describes several different
Ritual Hand-Washing Upon Waking vs. Before Eating Bread
This short home video compares the different customs of washing one’s hands after waking up and before eating bread. Although the same blessing is recited in both cases, the order in which the
How to Wash Hands Before Eating Bread
This short animated video demonstrates how to perform the ritual hand-washing prior to eating bread, including a slow, clear recitation of the the blessings over hand-washing and eating bread, according to Orthodox Asheknazic
Why Do We Wash Our Hands Before Eating Bread?
This short post explains the biblical origins behind the ritual hand-washing before bread, which is based on the ancient purity rituals of the Kohanim (Priests) in the Temple. This explanation was written by
Ritual Hand-Washing Meditation
In this short meditative practice, June Kozak Kane suggests intentions which one can ponder while performing the ritual hand-washing in order to make this act more meaningful. Although the author is specifically referring
Bread from the Earth: Food Justice Ceremony
This ceremony, meant to be performed before the blessing over the bread, encourages people to contemplate the source of their food, the process it went through to get onto the Shabbat table, and
Printable Hand Washing & Hamotzi Guide
This simple one-page card from Aish.com provides the Hebrew, English and transliterated texts of the blessings for the ritual washing of the hands and the bread. It also includes directions for the accompanying
How To: The Ritual Hand Washing and Blessing Over the Bread on Shabbat
This short instructional video, part of The Jewish Living Series of Perelman Jewish Day School, provides a detailed explanation of the ritual hand washing and the blessing over the bread on Shabbat, according to Ashkenazic
Prayer for the Rebuilding of the Temple After Candle Lighting
There is a custom to recite this prayer for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem after making the blessing over the Shabbat candles. This is the same prayer that is said by