MEOR seeks to create relationship with Greek community
By Morgan Caplan
For the Mitzpeh
@m_caplan6
MEOR Maryland, a Jewish campus outreach organization, fosters a relationship with the Maryland Greek community, encouraging an education of Jewish values despite differing religious backgrounds.
MEOR hosts a variety of events for anyone in the university’s community such as challah baking, Shabbat ...
Keva V’Kevana provides inclusivity to all sects of Jewish community
By Morgan Caplan
For the Mitzpeh
@m_ caplan6
Keva V’Kevana (KVK) Partnership Minyan strives to provide this university’s Jewish community an inclusive prayer opportunity by combining aspects of both the conservative and orthodox minyan.
The group, which meets once a month in Maryland Hillel, promotes maximum participation of females and ...
Backman’s Corner: Why do we count days during the Omer?
By Eli Backman
For the Mitzpeh
@Mitzpeh
A friend told me this time period is called ‘Sefirah’ and we count the days. Please explain?
To know when school will be out!
Sefirah, which means “count” in Hebrew, refers to the counting of days between Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. Passover was the time the Jews left Egypt, and Shavuot ...
Yom HaZikaron highlights differences between American, Israeli military culture
By Rachel Kalusin
For the Mitzpeh
@rkalusin
Yom HaZikaron is the day of remembrance for the fallen soldiers and the victims of terror in Israel. This year the holiday is commemorated on the evening of April 30 through sundown tonight, May 1. Memorial Day serves the same purpose in the U.S., but the two holidays have more differences than ...
Over 25 students contribute to OU-JLIC UMD haggadah for Passover
By Asia Hester
For the Mitzpeh
@helloitsasia1
The Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus’s second installment of this university’s haggadah, released Friday, features writings of UMD students that reflect and offer guidance as Passover begins on the evening of April 10.
The idea for the Maryland haggadah originated from ...
Backman’s Corner: Why do we only use three matzot during Passover?
By Eli Backman
For the Mitzpeh
@Mitzpeh
Question: I understand that we use four cups of wine to commemorate the four expressions of freedom in Exodus "I will release you... I will save you... I will liberate you... I will take you unto Me as a Nation"
So why do use only three matzot during the Seder and not four?
Answer:
The difference ...
JLIC’s first Food for Thought of the semester explores religion, the state of Israel
By Nicole Reisinger
For the Mitzpeh
@nareising
Rabbi Elli Fischer spoke to six students at Maryland Hillel Monday night about the relationship between religion and the state of Israel.
This was the first discussion of the semester for JLIC’s first Food for Thought series, a program that aims to provide students with differing perspectives, ...
Ahuva Tsykin speaks about journey from Catholicism to Orthodox Judaism
By Alyson Kay
Staff writer
@alysonlyn
Rebbetzin Ahuva Tsykin, who grew up Catholic in Puerto Rico and converted to Orthodox Judaism, spoke about her experiences to about 100 people Sunday night. The event, hosted at the Rosenbloom Hillel Center, included a free taco dinner and a question and answer session.
Tsykin began by speaking about how she ...
“Beauty is Power” – Feminism in the Megillah
by Michele Amira
Staff writer
@nicejewishswag
Esther is the Beyoncé of the Megillah — the Queen B of the Talmud. If she were around today, Kanye West would appear demanding that she win the whole Megillah.
But Esther isn’t the only superhero in the Talmud. Although the previous queen, Vashti, has been cast away — both by ...
