Congregation Shema Yisrael

Peter’s first letter is written to Messianic Jews living outside of the land of Israel in Asia Minor – modern‑day Turkey – who are facing trials and opposition because of their faith in Yeshua. Gentiles around them mock their devotion to the God of Israel, while fellow Jews who have not yet embraced Yeshua as […] Source

This Parasha is entitled Noach which means ‘rest’ It begins in Genesis 6:9 through 11:32. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation, Noah walked with God, despite living during a time of great unholiness. Noah was the son of Lamech. And had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and each of them […] Source

This week Rabbi Jerry teaches part 2 of his study on the Bible itself. He discusses different types of bibles and bible translations. Click here for Rabbi Jerry’s Notes. Watch Below: Source

Books are a tremendous benefit to humanity and the Bible is the greatest book of all. Unlike all other books, this book is divinely inspired. Every word is accurate, faithful and true. This Book of books teaches us everything we need to know to live a successful life in this world followed by eternal life […] Source

This week Rabbi Jerry begins a two-part study on the Bible itself. He discusses different types of bibles and bible translations. Click here for Rabbi Jerry’s Notes. Watch Below:   Source

Can you tell me the names of the things I’m about to show you? Let’s give it a try. Call it out when you know. (Powerpoints: Star Kist, Starburst, Starsky & Hutch, Starbucks, The Lone Star State, Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargazer lily, Peter Quill a.k.a. ‘Starlord’) And what is it they all have in […] Source

According to one Oregon State University study, over 50% of adults are clinically lonely[1], and this trend seems to be growing. Loneliness is so concerning that in 2023, the Surgeon General declared there was an Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation. Why are we the most connected generation in history, and yet so lonely and spiritually […] Source

This week’s Torah portion is entitled, V’zot HaB’racha, “And This Is the Blessing.” It contains words spoken by Moses as a blessing over the nation of Israel, a song of farewell, with the Promised Land in sight, before his death. In chapter 33 Moses describes a picture of God’s splendor and majesty, coming down from […] Source

This week Rabbi Glenn concludes the study of James. Watch Below:   Source

I. The reason for Sukkot and background As Rabbi Loren explained, one of the primary purposes of Sukkot – the Holiday of Booths/Shelters is to remind us of the temporariness of our wandering in the Sinai those 40 years, as well as to remind us of God’s gracious provision, and, that it wasn’t our home […] Source

This week, our parasha is Ha’Azinu, which translates to “Give Ear” and covers Deuteronomy 32. Ha’Azinu is the penultimate parasha and contains the final teaching and warning of Moses for our people. This teaching takes the form of a song, written in double columns in the Torah. The song prophecies our people’s future disobedience and […] Source

As Yom Kippur draws to a close, we have a final moment to consider our relationship with the Lord. Yom Kippur is a time of self-denial, repentance, and reconciliation. We are reminded of our complete dependence on Adonai for physical, emotional, and spiritual life. But we live in a world that constantly broadcasts the lie […] Source

The story is told of a man who was a lover of old books. One day he ran into an acquaintance who, in the course of their conversation, casually mentioned that he had recently thrown away a Bible that had been stored in the attic of his family’s home for generations. “I couldn’t read it,” […] Source

This week Rabbi Jerry discusses the history of the King James Version (KJV) and discusses the positives and negatives with this translation. Click here for Rabbi Jerry’s notes. Click here for an additional handout. Watch Below Source

Today is a very special Shabbat known as Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath of Return. The word Shuvah in Hebrew refers to two types of “turning”: physical turning and spiritual turning. Spiritual turning connects to the Hebrew word Teshuvah, which means repentance. Teshuvah describes our turning away from our sins and returning to the Lord. We […] Source

This week’s parasha is entitled Vayelech, which means, “And He Went.”  It covers Deuteronomy, Chapter 31:1 – 31:30.  As the parasha opens, we find out that this day will be Moses’ last day on earth.  As Moses mentions in verse 2:  I am a hundred and twenty years old today; I am no longer able […] Source

This week Rabbi Jerry discusses the Book of Life, what Scripture says about it and explores the Jewish traditions based on it. Click here for Rabbi Jerry’s notes. Watch Below:   Source

In theological studies, the word eschatology refers to the study of the End Times. For obvious reasons, it’s an important field of study. Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion about the Last Days, fueled by would-be teachers who haven’t even done their own homework, but are supremely confident in their assertions. It’s been amplified […] Source

Repentance is something we should be doing throughout the year, but the ten days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur are a special time to focus on repentance. Repentance means turning ‑ turning away from sin and turning to God. It involves rejecting wrong thinking, wrong attitudes and behaviors, and embracing right thinking, right attitudes […] Source

Peter’s first letter was written to Messianic Jews living outside of the land of Israel in Asia Minor – modern‑day Turkey – who were facing hostility, trials, and opposition because of their faith. Gentiles around them mocked their devotion to the God of Israel, while fellow Jews who had not yet embraced Yeshua as the […] Source

The parasha for this week is entitled Nitzavim, a word meaning “those taking a stand”. The root is different from the common Hebrew verb for ‘standing’ (omayd). The Torah reading begins with our people standing formally before Adonai, with Moses as their intermediary, in order to confirm the Covenant. D’varim, the Book of Deuteronomy is, […] Source

This week Rabbi Glenn continues with James 4 and begins James 5. Click here for Rabbi Glenn’s notes. Watch Below: Source

Peter’s first letter encourages believers to live faithfully as God’s chosen people in a world where trials and suffering are certain. He begins by reminding us of the hope we have through the resurrection of Yeshua and the imperishable inheritance that awaits us. We are called to holiness in our daily lives, humility in our […] Source

This week’s Parasha is entitled Kee Tavo, meaning, When You Come In. It covers Deuteronomy 26:1 – 29:9. It must have been a relief for Israel to hear that their 40-year journey through the wilderness was finally coming to an end.  They were about to cross over into the Promised Land, given to them by […] Source

This week Rabbi Jerry begins James 4 and discusses the dangers of pride and quarrelling. Click here for Rabbi Jerry’s notes. Watch Below:   Source