When I’m not blogging, I teach people how to lead Shabbat morning services at the Karaite synagogue in Daly City. I never realized how beautiful the Karaite service was until I started teaching. And I never realized what geniuses the Karaite sages were till I started studying the service to improve my hazzanut (cantillation).
The traditional Egyptian Karaite service is a lyrical masterpiece, worthy of a Pitch Perfect mash-up. Oh Beca Mitchell, you were born in the wrong generation.
Filed under Prayer
Donate here to help the KJA’s much needed renovation. Every dollar matched.
I have never been more excited about the future of Karaite Judaism in the United States. Over the past few weeks, The Karaite Press (a project of the Karaite Jews of America) has launched a new book, Royal Attire. Last weekend, the sanctuary of the Karaite Jews of America, Congregation B’nai Israel in Daly City, CA, literally overflowed during its inaugural Family Shabbat Service.
And now, I have the pleasure of presenting the most dynamic investment opportunity in the future of Karaite Judaism in the United States. The Karaite Jews of America is undertaking a much-needed renovation of its sanctuary, and an expansion of its existing premises to establish the national Karaite Jewish Cultural Center. The KJA has launched its Foundation for the Future Campaign, with the objective of celebrating the re-dedication of the enhanced and expanded Congregation B’nai Israel in the Summer of 2017.
Professor Hahn-Tapper’s new book is a great intro to Judaism(s)
It’s 2016, and let’s face it: despite my best efforts, Karaites remain on the fringe, a mere after thought in the Jewish landscape. The normative form of Judaism today is Rabbinic Judaism – so much so that when someone contemplates his or her Jewish identity, they first think Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform (or maybe Ashkenazi, Sefardi, or Mizrahi). But he or she never even has to come to terms with the fact that their form of Judaism is operating within the Rabbinic Jewish framework.
Filed under Rabbanite Privilege, Rabbinic Influence
The Barden Bellas or Zelophechad’s Daughters?
In case you have not heard the bad news: Pitch Perfect 3’s release date was moved back from Summer 2017 to December 2017 (amid reports of squabbling amongst the movie’s stars). Pitch Perfect is centered around the all girls A Capella group, The Barden Bellas.
And this bad news comes just as Jews throughout the world read the story of the five daughters of Zelophechad who petitioned Moses for their rights to inherit from their deceased father. [1.] This is probably a good time to explain how the Karaite sages generally interpreted the laws of inheritance.
And at the end, you can vote for your favorite Karaite position and can tell me which Pitch Perfect was better: PP1 or PP2.
Photo Source: CNN
This past weekend Karaite Jews throughout the world read the Torah portion of Chukat (Numbers 19:1–22:1), and this coming weekend, Rabbanite Jews will do the same. Each Shabbat, I give a talk at the Karaite Jews of America’s synagogue in Daly City. Because those talks are not the point of the blog, I’ve resisted posting them here.
But after this last weekend’s talk, some people urged me to post it online. So, I am making a one-time (I think) exception. Here you go:
Filed under Shabbat
Last week, an Orthodox Jewish website, Hamodia, published an Op Ed discussing whether Reform and Conservative (Rabbinic) Jews have the right to hold services at the Western Wall. For those who do not know, the State of Israel recently designated certain areas of prayer at the Wall for Reform and Conservative Jews, but many in the Orthodox community are not too pleased.
And the best way for the Orthodox world to express their dissatisfaction with their fellow Rabbanites is to start by making fun of Karaites.
Filed under Judah HaLevi, Kuzari
When I was in high school, I learned two truths that would change my world. The first truth I learned was that my male relatives were detained in Egyptian internment camps during the Six Day war. The war lasted six days, but the Egyptian government’s internment of Jewish males lasted approximately three years. The second truth I learned was that every year my Uncle Ben had personally slaughtered the lamb we ate on Passover. I never knew any of this till my high school years. Crazy.
Filed under Uncategorized
