Jewish holidays

This discussion guide explores some of the difficulties and dilemmas facing those who seek to heal the wounds of their own souls—especially self-inflicted wounds. These topics are explored through a series of dialogues between Ovadya ben Malka, former member of the Birkenau Sonderkommando and Rabbi David Ish-Shalom. The discussion topics are supplemented with sources from Jewish texts and sample questions. To download the free pdf version, formatted for home printing, press "Sample" below.

A Seudat Hodayah is a special meal to held by Jews to commemorate the occasion of a near miss—healing from an illness, returning from a dangerous trip, or narrowly escaping an accident—or just to give thanks for some important milestone. We tell gather around the dining table, recount our brush with ill fortune and give thanks for our delivery. And because it's a Jewish meal, we learn a bit of Torah, say Birchat HaGomel, and sing (not recite, sing!) some choice bits of Tehillim. The Seudat Hodayah includes selections for group study, psalms, and songs—everything you need to hold your own festive meal in the time-honored tradition.