CAJE Team

The priestly blessing found in this week’s parashah, Naso, is one that has been an important part of our people’s story for three millennia. In the days when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the priests offered this blessing on behalf of G-d to the people. This tradition continues today in many congregations, where those who are descendants of the Kohanim, the high priests, ascend the bimah and bless the congregation. This blessing is also recited under the chuppah, when children are welcomed into the covenant and named, and it is the prayer bestowed upon children by their parents at Shabbat and holy days. The three benedictions of this prayer are simple and yet incredibly powerful. The words ring in our ears as we consider the many special moments when we’ve heard them. I recently came across a story that spoke of the extreme importance and power of these words.

This summer, CAJE Adult Learning: The Center for Jewish Ideas and Engagement is thrilled to unveil an extraordinary collaboration with the Jewish Heritage Alliance (JHA)—a global initiative committed to reclaiming and celebrating the powerful legacy of Sephardic Jewry. Together, we're launching a captivating new course that dares to tell the story most history books have left out: Sefarad: The Untold Story That Changed the World. From the dazzling heights of medieval Spain’s golden age to the long and dark shadows cast by the Inquisition and Expulsion, the story of Sefarad is one of both triumph and tragedy. It includes the complex and often heartbreaking journey of the conversos — Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity, many of whom continued to practice Judaism in secret, thus shaping a hidden chapter of incredible resilience.