I'm not sure if the expression "och" is uniquely South African or a universal term to express dissatisfaction. In any case, the term is used quite frequently: "Och, I wish the neighbour's dog would hurry up and die already" "Och, I've run out of toilet paper" "Och, I wish I didn't have to get out of bed for a glass of water" "Och, can't the children pick themselves up from school" "Och, I already have the coles mini Nutella, I was hoping for the dishwasher soap!" For Bnei Yis

"Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof "- Justice, justice we shall pursue: This is the focal idea of this week's parasha Is attaining justice realistic? How long must we struggle through the pursuit? Is the pursuit of justice or the achievement of justice more important? Shoftim is a prelude to the month of Elul month of repentance and reflection leading to the Yamim Noraim. This month acts as a greenhouse, nurturing and providing us space to contemplate. It invites us to engage our thoughts

In this weeks Parasha, Hashem tells the Jewish people: "See (Re'eh), I am sitting before you (lifneichem) on this day, blessings and curses" (11:26) My mother, who loves to correct my father's spelling and grammar would point out two errors if my dad were to quote the parasha on WhatsApp. (Why is my dad quoting the parasha on WhatsApp? I don't know. We just came home from Israel - we're desperate for any kind of spirituality, to be honest). My mum would say that the word 'see

They came to destroy us. They failed. Let’s eat! This cycle underpins our very understanding of Judaism. We proudly boast of our religion centred around food – the caricature of the Jewish mother pictures her feeding three people with two hands, a Jewish grandparent is judged on the quality of their chicken soup. My family and I are currently in Israel. We have taken the task of sampling everything along the spectrum of Israeli cuisine very seriously. In many ways, the foodie