By Rabbi Pam Frydman (This Kashrut Overview is available in the above pdf as a 12 page photo ready pamphlet that may be printed on two sides of 8 1/2" x 11" paper, then folded in half, and stapled -- saddle stitched -- in the middle.) Kashrut is a Jewish practice usually referred to as being kosher or keeping kosher.   Below is a pronunciation key, definitions, and an overview of kosher symbols, cookware, cooking and eating, as well as eco kashrut, and recommended resources.

By Rabbi Pam Frydman ( A teaching offered on Friday evening when Shabbat began as the first two festival days of Passover were concluding.) Shabbat Shalom. Tonight is Shabbat and the beginning of Chol Hamoed Pesach, the intermediary days of Passover. Here in our Conservative congregation, we celebrate Passover for 8 days, including two festival days at the beginning, 4 intermediate days in the middle, and 2 festival days at the end. [1] There are many similarities between Sha

​ Pam Frydman is a Rabbi and Chaplain who offers Pastoral Care and Pastoral Counseling to members of the Jewish community, candidates for conversion already studying in a conversion program, and those of all faiths and backgrounds. Please use the contact form on this website to make an appointment. She was founding Rabbi of Or Shalom Jewish Community in San Francisco, California ; Interim Rabbi of Congregation P’nai Tikvah (now part of Temple Sinai) in Las Vegas, Nevada; and

By Rabbi Pamela Frydman (This article is based on a  Keynote Address given at Montana State University, in Bozeman, Montana on April 22, 2012 when she was serving as Director of the Holocaust Education Project of the Academy for Jewish Religion, California.)  © Copyrighted by Pamela Frydman. All rights reserved. The Holocaust began in January 1933, when Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany.[[ 1 ] “Adolf Hitler is Named Chancellor of Germany,” History.com <http://www.hi

Click here to access the Vidui — Confessional — of Mitzvot by Rabbi Avi Weiss.

Click here for the words to Havdallah in Hebrew, transliteration and English.

Once a person accustoms himself or herself to hearing the voice of God issuing from everything, the supernal meaning now comes that has eluded the person and this is spiritual wisdom. For certainly, concealed and hidden spiritual wisdom contains divine meaning. Moreover, by means of getting in the habit of paying attention to the voice of God issuing from everything, the voice of God is revealed now in spiritual wisdom. Until finally, in the spiritual wisdom itself, one finds

This beautiful teaching was cited by Rabbi Shalom Schachter during the hesped [eulogy] for his father, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi zt”l (August 17, 1924 - July 4, 2014 • 17 Menachem Av 5684 - 5 Tammuz 5775) אמר רבי אלעזר בשם רבי חנינא: תלמידי חכמים מרבים שלום בעולם, שנאמר (ישעיהו נ"ד) וכל בניך לימודי ה‘ ורב שלום בניך. אל תקרי בניך אלא בוניך Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Hanina: The disciples of the wise increase peace in the world, as it says, “And all your childr

Towards a Spirituality of Responsibility Fostering a Form of Spirituality that Responds to Social Needs Thomas Menamparampil Introduction...

Dialogue of Values With the Help of Spiritually Motivated People By Thomas Menamparampil 1. The Need of Spiritually Motivated Inspirers in a Profit-Driven Society  Adam Smith argued that the economic dynamism stimulated in society by the self-interest of individuals can benefit the entire society, even when not intended. However, Nobel Laureate Liu Xiabao points out that to make the self-interest of the majority purposeful, we need a minority of moral giants who can make ‘sel

By Rabbi Pamela Frydman Congregation Netivot Shalom, Berkeley, California I have a young friend who drives an old car. One day he ran out of gas and he began walking in the neighborhood to look for the nearest a gas station, which turned out to be about half a mile away. He lugged a heavy gas can back to his car and as he approached, he noticed that there was another car up ahead that looked just like his. He took out his keys to try it the car door to be sure it was his car

Retold by Rabbi Pamela Frydman[ 1 ] Congregation P'nai Tikvah With our prayer books open to the Amidah for Ne’ilah, I want to share the following story: About 200 years ago, there was a Rabbi named Volker. Rabbi Volker was a Torah scholar and a mystic and he also had a vivid imagination. One night, Rabbi Volker had a dream. He dreamed that he was sent by the sages of his generation to create a map of heaven. In Rabbi Volker’s dream, he was immediately transported to heaven wh

By Rabbi Pamela Frydman Erev Yom Kippur, Congregation P'nai Tikvah, 5777 • 2016 There was a young man who drove an old jalopy and one day he ran out of gas. The weather was cool and so he walked to the nearest gas station, which was about a quarter of a mile away. He lugged a heavy gas can back to his car and as he approached, he noticed that there was another old jalopy right up ahead and both cars looked exactly alike. He put down the gas can and took out his keys to unlock

A Sermon for Erev Rosh HaShannah, Congregation P'nai Tikvah, 5777 By Rabbi Pamela Frydman Rosh HaShannah is the Jewish new year, the birthday of the world, and the anniversary of creation. It is easy for us to understand that Rosh HaShannah is the Jewish new year because Rosh HaShanah is when our calendar changes. Earlier today, the Jewish calendar was in the year 5776 and when Cantor Marla led us in the blessing over the candles, the calendar shifted to 5777.  The changing

Beyond Silence: Jewish Community Professional Resources Download a PowerPoint Presentation entitled “Approaches for Engaging Youth Serving Organizations and Schools in Child Sexual Abuse Prevention” prepared by Safe and Sound for the Beyond Silence professional development day held on November 18, 2015. Beyond Silence Closing Keynote by David Waksberg, CEO of Jewish Learning Works, delivered during the Beyond Silence professional development day on November 18, 2015. Cali

Child Help Hotline provides a variety of reporting, counseling and referral services. Call (800) 4-A-CHILD or 800-422-4453 RAINN , the National Sexual Abuse & Incest Hotline at Tel:800-656-HOPE

Emergency Reporting of Child Abuse In an emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. To report child abuse or suspicion of child abuse: Call the police 24/7 If you live outside city limits, call your county sheriff 24/7 Call your local Child Protective Services 24/7. To locate the local number call Tel:800-422-4453. Child Abuse Reporting Resources in the United States & Israel Child Help Hotline provides a variety of reporting, counseling and referral services

If you are a clergy person, educator, healthcare professional, counselor, therapist, law enforcement or person working in a variety of other service professions, you may be a mandated reporter of child abuse. The U.S. government Child Welfare website has information about laws, policies and other subjects related to the prevention and reporting of child abuse in all 50 states, on tribal lands and in the U.S. territories. Additional resources: How to Report Child Abuse or Neg

A resource for victims, perpetrators and the constellation of those involved when there has been sexual abuse by Caprice Haverty, Ph.D. and Anna Weisberg, Ph.D. At A Step Forward, Inc. (ASF) we address and treat all aspects of sexual abuse, from the victim to the perpetrator, and from the family to the wider community. Where appropriate, we provide therapy for those families who are separated due to the sexual assault and who wish to reunify. We also specialize in the treatme

Between 2013 and 2016, the Board of Rabbis of Northern California , Jewish Learning Works and the Educators Council , Shalom Bayit , Bay Area Jewish Healing Center and Bay Area Temple Administrators engaged the Beyond Silence Campaign to generate and sustain a community wide response to abuse and to raise consciousness about the prevention and reporting of child sexual abuse and related types of abuse. These are resources gathered during that campaign: Child abuse reporting

Click here to read endorsements and order the paperback or eBook BOOK REVIEWS United States Review "Rabbi Pamela Frydman, who has a long,...

ARTICLES AUTHORED OR CO-AUTHORED BY RABBI PAM "Calling Courageous Tourists: Plan Your Next Vacation in Istanbul" published The Times of...

A Midrash on Parshat Mishpatim, Congregation B'nai Emunah By Rabbi Pam Frydman             Shabbat Shalom. This week’s Torah portion includes the famous saying, “Na’aseh v’nishmah,” “we will do and we will listen”. The proverbial question is why did the Israelites tell Moses “we will do and we will listen”?             Don’t we need to listen first before we start doing something? Or is life just a set of opportunities to get things done without reading the directions, except

For adults and children Bass, Ellen, and Laura Davis. The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse , 20th Anniversary Edition. William Morrow Paperbacks: 2008. (Recommended by Rabbis Paula Marcus and Pam Frydman) Dorff, Rabbi Elliott. Family Violence by Elliot Dorff, Part I, “ The Legal Status of Abuse ” approved by the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly of Conservative Judaism. Page 775 et seq. Dratch, Rabbi Marc. “ T

A Teaching About Jealousy based on the Dhammapada By Rabbi Yoel Glick The Dhammapada is a well known Buddhist scripture consisting of the...

To Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Jewish Agency of the State of Israel Dear Chairman Sharansky, I was pleased to see that Prime...

The Sin of Indifference By Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld Shavuot 5773, May 2013 On Shavuot we read the book of Ruth.  One of the most famous...

Counting the Omer A teaching of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichiv[1] Translated by Rabbi Pamela Frydman Why do we recite shehecheyanu on...

A Teaching on the Vision of Death by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook[1] from Lights of Holiness, Volume 2, Section 380 Click here for original...

This teaching is excerpted from the Meta Parshiot series of commentaries by Rabbi Reb Dovid Wolfe-Blank z”l. This is included his is...

Women Navigating a Man’s World is an insightful and enlightening Dvar Torah on Parshat Vayeshev by Rabbi Dov Linzer. Rabbi Linzer serves...

A Marriage of Equals? is a very interesting Dvar Torah on Parshat Vayeitzei by Rabbi Dov Linzer. Rabbi Linzer serves as the Norman and...

Rabbi David Kalb in support of Women of the Wall Rabbi David Kalb, International Co-Chair of Rabbis for Women of the Wall, gave this...

A PRAYER FOR THOSE WHOSE HEARTS CARRY THE WEIGHT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS This prayer was adapted and read for the December 2014 Vienna Conferences, the URI North America “Let’s Eliminate Nuclear Weapons” webinar , and was most recently a part of the opening day ceremony of the 59th Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations. In the words of Monica Willard, URI Representative to the United Nations, “The UN is holding the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Tre

By Ejaz Naqvi, M.D. Rabbi Pamela Frydman Despina Namwembe Iftekhar Hai Presented at the Parliament of World’s Religion October 17, 2015,...

Published by the Israel Religious Action Center, 2012. This week is the first of seven weeks between Tisha B’Av and Rosh HaShanah. On the previous three Sabbaths leading to Tisha B’Av, the Haftarahs are traditionally called Haftarahs of Admonition during which the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah admonish the Jewish people for straying from their religious and spiritual responsibilities. The Haftarahs of Admonition are read in anticipation of observing Tisha B’Av as a day of mour

Dvar Torah on Parshat Noah Published by the Israel Religious Action Center, October 15, 2012 This week’s parshah contains the story of Noah. Noah built an ark. He brought in two of each animal, one male and one female. Noah’s wife and three sons and their wives all entered the ark. It rained for forty days and forty nights. Then God placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign that there would never be another event that would destroy human and animal societies in one fell swoop. So

Should Jewish Youth Trick or Treat? Portions of this article were published in "Ask the Rabbi" J Mag, Where Celebrities, Experts and J...

To Read of Not to Read; The Babylonian Talmud and Rashi Say Yes!!! © 2013 by Rabbi Pamela Frydman This Responsa was written at the...

Tisha B'Av and the Cycle of the Jewish Year Written in June 2010 In honor of Rabbis Arthur Waskow, Goldie Milgram and Cheryl Weiner In...

Spirit Matters Written in 2003 and Published in the Or Shalom Jewish Community Newsletter I was talking with a congregant whose father,...

by Rabbi Pamela Frydman This year, 5775 - 2014, Yom Kippur day is the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi and Eid al Adha will begin...

This d'var Torah was originally published in The Pluralist of the Israel Religious Action Center for the week of January 12, 2015. In this week’s Torah portion[ 1 ], the Egyptians and Israelites suffer the first three plagues: blood in the water, frogs on the land, and lice on the body. Then the Egyptians suffer four more plagues while the Israelites are spared. These are the plagues of wild animals invading the neighborhood, cattle disease, boils and hail. During next week’

Parshat Tetzvah A Midrash in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of becoming bat mitzvah by Rabbi Pamela Frydman

Written for Shalom Bayit, Jewish Women Working to End Domestic Violence. In this week’s parsha, it says that when you build a new house, you should make a guardrail for your roof, so that you will not cause blood to be spilled in your house.  This is very a practical teaching. In ancient times, people used their roof the way we use a patio or backyard today. There was a danger that people would be relaxing or studying or socializing on the roof, or that children would be play

by Rabbi Pam Frydman  (in honor of the memory of her mother Perel bat Chayyim v'Geetscha on the occasion of her third yahrzeit)     It says in the Gemara (Megillah 14a) תנו רבנן: ארבעים ושמונה נביאים ושבע נביאות נתנבאו להם לישראל Our Rabbis taught: “Forty-eight prophets and seven prophetesses prophesied to Israel.”      In the second aliyah of this week’s Parsha, Miriam dies and as we know, Miriam was a נְּבִיאָה (prophetess), and her prophetic ability was acknowledged not ju

A Teaching on Parshat Toldot By Rabbi Pam Frydman Once there was a king who had four advisors. When the king asked for advice, each advisor would give the king a different answer and the king didn’t know what to do, so he went home and asked his wife, the queen. The queen said, let’s show the advisors that everyone sees things differently and that’s why they each give you different advice. If they can learn to see from each other’s point of view, maybe they can get together a

By Rabbi Pam Frydman Congregation P’nai Tikvah, Brunch with Brilliants, November 20, 2016 As we well know, Thanksgiving is an American holiday. Families and friends get together to enjoy a delicious meal, visit with one another and perhaps watch football. Thanksgiving is not a Jewish holiday and it is not a holiday connected with any one religion. Rather, it is an American holiday with a religious and spiritual feeling into which each family, and each group of friends, may br

By Rabbi Pamela Frydman In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Vayera, G-o-d decides to tell our father Abraham that the cities of Sodom and Gomora are going to be destroyed.[ 1 ] This is an instance in which Abraham displays an uncanny ability to negotiate with G-o-d as though he and G-o-d were friends. This is the story:  G-o-d tells Abraham that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are committing grievous sins by victimizing one another. G-o-d says that the victims are crying o

By Rabbi Pamela Frydman, Congregation P'nai Tikvah It says in the Torah that during the time of Noah, there was corruption in the world. G-o-d regretted creating the world, because life in the world had become corrupt. So G-o-d decided to bring a flood to destroy everything that was standing. In other words, the flood would destroy everything that was not in the ark or swimming in the flood waters. G-o-d also committed to beginning life again after the flood, and to start tha