Author Archives: Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

I’ll ask her in the morning…

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

On the day of her funeral, the sun was shining and the sky was a clear, blue. Funerals’ weather somehow is always meaningful, whether “the sky is crying” or not. For my mom’s, it was a glorious spring day, one … Continue reading →

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Dancing together at Sinai

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

When religious Jews are asked, how are you? they often respond with “Baruch Hashem”, literally meaning, ‘praised be G-d’ or ‘thank G-d’. Turns out, in the Torah this construct is used largely by non-Jews, including, in this week’s Torah portion, … Continue reading →

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Shabbat Shira: “There can be miracles”

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

The image of Miriam of the split sea with her drum is a favorite. So much so that tambourine in Hebrew is called “Miriam’s drum”. Rashi answers for us the question we didn’t think to ask: not like there were … Continue reading →

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On patience & haste, and what if we were G-d…

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Ten whole Plagues. Many days. Weeks. Months of preparations. There was even time to collect gold and silver vessels from the neighbors. Time to get organized and start baking… It seems like this could go on forever. And suddenly, chipazon!! … Continue reading →

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It’s Almost MLK’s Torah Portion

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

America is celebrating Martin Luther King Jr this weekend. Had he a Hebrew birthday, it would have been between this week’s Torah portion and the next, the height of the story of the Exodus. ******* ג וָאֵרָא, אֶל-אַבְרָהָם אֶל-יִצְחָק וְאֶל-יַעֲקֹב–בְּאֵל … Continue reading →

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In the desert… on names, shoes, mensches and women

Posted on January 4, 2018 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

In the desert you can’t remember your name…. In the Book of “Names”, so is Exodus, Shmot, שמות, called in Hebrew, some have a name and many more – don’t. Perhaps, this is so we won’t get caught up in … Continue reading →

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Last but not least: from the journal of… מהיומן של…

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

… When the family will be coming down to live with us here, in Egypt, my mother will be with them too. So many moons and suns have passed since I last saw her! I’m already a mother myself… I … Continue reading →

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Judah & Joseph: brothers in arms

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

We were in 5th grade; a lively group of giggly girls on route home from school, when a couple of guys approached us with some questions. They had big recorders and microphones, and thick accents. They told us they were … Continue reading →

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Memories, Dreams, Numbers & A Story

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Chai (18) years ago, it was my oldest son’s Bar Mitzvah. Six months earlier, our Sacramento shul was firebombed. Moving to a temporary location, we rolled the ark with Torah, and the wood-lattice mechitzah down the street to a nearby … Continue reading →

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3 J’s – Jacob, Joseph, Jerusalem

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

  In the opening verse of this week’s Torah portion is says: א וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב, בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו–בְּאֶרֶץ, כְּנָעַן. 1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan. There are two verbs to … Continue reading →

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