Life of Spud

In the Genesis story  there are two moments that recall the creation of human beings. Many Biblical commentators and scholars analyze and compare the two stories. And although I don’t even “reach to their ankles”, I’d like to offer a reading that I heard.  At the end of the first chapter, on the 6th day of a 6-Day Creation Story, Human is created. The Torah reads: "וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם." (בראשית א: כז) “And GD(s) created the AdAm in his/its image; in the image of GD(s) he/it created him/it; Male and Female created them.” (Genesis 1:27) Here the terms “Male” and “Female” are introduced in the context of B’Tselem Elohim - in the image of GD - which means that GD is both male and female in nature. That is, GD possesses both characteristics/traits that are generally classified as masculine or feminine. And since Human is created in GD’s image, all humans can possess both characterist...

1. RE: Asian Carp as an Invasive Species The article linked below is the announcement of a winner in the competition called "Carp Tank".  Apparently, there is a species of fish known as Asian Carp that... " are now only about 50 miles away from the Great Lake. Scientists are concerned that the voracious fish would out-compete native and desired Great Lakes fish species, causing an ecological and economic calamity."   https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/27/invasive-asian-carp-innovators-carp-tank-prize/463650002/ I just found this "funny" because if you remove the word "carp" from the article, it sounds a lot like the conversations from a couple of decades ago around my old neighborhood. Are scientists racists? 2. Makkat Bechorot It's somewhat of an exception that the male form of a Hebrew word takes on the female suffix when converted to plural (OT instead of IM). And it always bothered me when it came to the 10th P...

Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, which is also referred to as “MarCheshvan,” was on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. In conversation with a friend, I found out that there are actually a couple of different reasons for this nickname. In my Jewish education, I had learned that the prefix “Mar” was from the Hebrew word for “bitter” (like the “Maror” that we eat on Pesach to recall the bitterness of slavery in Egypt). It is applied to Cheshvan because, unlike the month of Tishrei before it and the month of Kislev that follows it, Cheshvan contains no Jewish holidays. As a result, either we – the Jewish people – or the month itself, are a bit more bitter than (in) those other months. But my friend shared with me the explanation that he had learned in his Jewish education. He had been taught that the word “Mar” is from the Hebrew word for “Mister” (like, “Hashchunah shel Mar Rogers” the Hebrew version of Mr. Roger’s Nieghborhood). It is applied to Cheshvan as a title of respect because, unlike ...

Mining the weekly Torah portion for insight into educational leadership. A few months back I embarked on a search for my next leadership opportunity in Jewish education - and soon afterwards I found myself at Mens' Wearhouse in search of some new suits.  You see, for the last five years I have lived in Israel and South Florida, environments and cultures that tend to punish/shun suit-wearers. And in that time my suits had become obsolete (and outgrown), so I bought some new ones for my inevitable interviews elsewhere in the United States. Now I've been told by many people that I "clean up well" and I even had it as my personal tagline in my email signature ("Avi Spodek - He cleans up well"). But it was only after I sat through Skype interviews in a suit (at least the top half) that I became mindful of the impact that my appearance had on me and cognizant of its influence on those who saw me. Not ten minutes earlier I was walking around the house in shor...

  Educational Vision The Hebrew word for vision is chazon , which is the same word that is often used in TaNaKh to denote a prophecy. According to some, a prophecy draws a picture of the future with the aim of affecting immediate change and informing subsequent decisions. The same is true regarding an educational vision. An educational institution cannot exist without knowing its purpose and where it is going. Much like the prophet, the role of the educational leader is to provide the vision – an ideal of the future – to which the institution then strives. My personal educational vision is a community of learners for whom Jewishness is an essential, positive, and deeply personal piece of their human identity. They are knowledgeable in areas of Jewish content and practice, confident in their individuality and empowered to participate as part of a continuum of Jewish community.  My vision is deeply impacted by the values of Achdut/Community, Chinuch/Education, Hishtadlut/Engage...

I recently completed my program at Pardes and delivered the following address to my teachers, cohort and friends.

The incidents at the Kotel these past few months have dominated the atmosphere where I study. There is an overwhelming sense of support for the Women of the Wall and their efforts to be recognized as legitimate players in the Jewish-religious narrative. Many of my friends have donned their Talitot and Tefilin (some for the first time) and made headlines in the process. I can personally attest to the character and passion of these people and I believe their intentions are sincere. And yet I struggle. I struggle because I believe that Jewish history provides us with important lessons for the present. And when I view what is going on at the Kotel plaza it is as if I have been transported to Jerusalem just prior to the destruction of Second Beit HaMikdash (Temple). Both Josephus and the Talmud record a time of great division amongst the Jewish people and both ascribe the ultimate loss of the war with Rome and the destruction of Beit HaMikdash (Temple) to this infighting (Tradi...