Elana and Robin welcome their colleague and friend, char hersh, who in addition to being the Director of Administration, has worked in Jewish education for many years. They talk about everything from kippot to tzitzit, the rituals, the reasons, and the origins.

Show Notes:

  • char hersh’s bio
  • Vocabulary
    • Here are some words mentioned during this episode and their definitions:
      • Bimah: the podium or platform in a synagogue from which the Torah and Prophets are read.
      • Gentile: a person who is not Jewish.
      • Halacha: Jewish law and jurisprudence, based on the Talmud.
      • HaShem: (literally, ‘the Name’) is used to refer to God when avoiding God’s more formal title, Adonai
      • Hineni: Hebrew for “here I am.”
      • Kippah/Kippot: a brimless cap, usually made of cloth, traditionally worn to fulfill the customary requirement that the head be covered.
      • Mitzvah: a precept or commandment.
      • Pagan: holding or constituting religious beliefs other than those of the main or recognized religions.
      • Payes/payot: the Hebrew term for sidelocks or sideburns.
      • Tallit: a fringed garment worn as a prayer shawl by religious Jews.
      • Tallit katan: a fringed garment traditionally worn either under or over one’s clothing.
      • Talmud: (literally, “study”) is the generic term for the documents that comment and expand upon the Mishnah, the first work of