A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT BY RABBI MORDY Tonight begins the last days of Passover. These are days that commemorate the splitting of the Sea of Reeds (being approximately a week after the Jewish people were freed) as well as celebrate — strangely, in anticipation of—the future Redemption. Much is discussed about what “the Redemption” means and people tend to have… Read More

JOY Program Passover 2025 On Tuesday, April 8 the Friendship Circle partnered with the Branch and Merakey for an in-person gathering focused on Passover. The goal of JOY Programming is to bring together adult members of the community to celebrate Jewish holidays together. During this program, residents of Merakey learned about the meaning of Passover from Rabbi Mordy and enjoyed… Read More

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT BY RABBI MORDY While we technically start the holiday of Passover tomorrow night, this Shabbos, known as “Shabbat Hagadol,” the Great Shabbos, leads us right into the holiday. Because it’s a busy day, I’ll try to be as brief as possible. Passover celebrates the Jewish people’s liberation from Egypt. The Hebrew word from Egypt is “Mitzrayim,” which,… Read More

FOTT Trip April 2025 FOTT had another awesome trip this Sunday at Creative Reuse Pittsburgh! The day was filled with fun and innovation as members got hands-on with making shadow boxes and wooden sculptures using repurposed materials. Members also had the chance to tour the back of the building to see where the bulk of supplies are held. Michael Fox… Read More

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT BY RABBI MORDY Two peanuts were walking down the street. One was assaulted. Wait, what? This week we begin the third book of the Torah, Vayikra, also known as Leviticus. The Parsha, as well as much of the entire book, surrounds the sacrifices that the Kohanim, the priests, would bring in the Temple in Jerusalem. Seemingly… Read More