Marsha B. Cohen's
"Rhythms of Jewish Living"
Student Resource Site


This website is designed and maintained by Marsha B. Cohen, who teaches "Rhythms of Jewish Living" for the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School in Miami, Florida . Its purpose is to provide first year Melton students with access to supplementary and complementary online resource materials for further learning and personal growth. It has no official connection with or endorsement from the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School website or the FMAMS program.

Updated Dec. 18, 2008


FMAMS 2008-2009 (5769)
"Rhythms" Schedule and Suggested Supplementary Readings and Resources

South Dade - Bet Shira, Thursdays, 10:45 am-11:45 am



Sept. 18 - "A Time for Every Purpose Under the Heaven": What is Jewish Time?(Melton Student Curriculum page 1)


Sept. 25 - Rosh HaShanah (p. 19)

and Yom Kippur (p. 29)
  • All About Rosh Hashanah, (Lisa Katz, about.com)
  • Rosh HaShanah (OU)
  • Virtual Jerusalem's Rosh HaShanah web page
  • Rosh HaShanah (Project Genesis)
  • Weight Loss and Teshuva: Getting in Shape Physically, and Spiritually (Aish.com)



  • All About Yom Kippur (Lisa Katz, about.com)
  • Yom Kippur (OU)
  • Yom Kippur (Project Genesis)
  • Yom Kippur Survival Guide (Virtual Jerusalem)
  • The Yom Kippur Fast: Making It and Breaking It by Arlene Shargai
  • Marsha's EasyFast Special Stew


    • Oct. 16 - Sukkot (p. 37)
  • All About Sukkot (Lisa Katz, about.com)
  • Building a Sukkah (B'nai Shalom)
  • VJ's Celebrate Sukkot
  • Sukkot (Project Genesis)


    • Oct. 23 - Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (p. 47)
  • All About Shemini Atzeret (Lisa Katz, about.com)
  • All About Simchat Torah (Lisa Katz, about.com)
  • Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (OU)
  • VJ's Celebrate Simchat Torah
    • (Also see Sukkot sites above)


    Oct. 30 -
  • Prayers and Blessings (Judaism 101)
  • Siddur Ba'er Heiteiv - Online Transliterated Prayerbook
    • ed. Jordan Lee Wagner)

  • "Are Women Obligated to Pray Daily?"
    • Menachem M. Kasdan (JHCS)
  • Articles on Exclusionary Language in Prayer (JOFA)


    • Nov. 6 - Berakhot [Blessings], (p. 79)
  • Blessings of Thanksgiving(Klein, GJRP)
  • Daily Blessings Explained and Transliterated, Jordan Lee Wagner, Siddur Ba'er Heiteiv
  • Blessings Before Food (Klein, GJRP)
  • Blessings over Foods Explained and Transliterated,
    • Jordan Lee Wagner
  • Handwashing, Motzi, Grace After Meals Explained and Transliterated, ed. Jordan Wagner
  • Articles on Women and Zimmun (JOFA)


    • Nov. 13 and 20 - Shabbat: its Observance(p. 115)
  • Marsha's Easy Challah Recipe
  • U.S. and International Candlelighting Times
  • Shabbat Index (OU)


    • Nov. 27 - No class
    Hodu LaShem ki tov!


    Dec. 4 - Chanukah (p. 147)
  • Chanukah Sites (about.com)

  • Jacob Richman's Chanukah Link Collection


    • Dec. 11 -
  • Mezuza (Vaad Mishmereth STaM)
  • Women and Tefillin (Conservative viewpoint)
  • Women, Tallit and Tefillin: A Surprising Voice from Within Sephardic Tradition
    • Sarina Roffe (American Sephardi Federation)
  • Tefillin and Acupuncture Points
    • (Journal of Chinese Medicine, no. 70, Oct. 2002)
  • Tzitzit and Tallit (Ahavat Yisrael)
  • The Tallit (UAHC)


    • Dec. 18 - Birth and Berit Milah [Circumcision] (p. 173)
  • Jewish Life Cycle: Birth, Bris, Baby-naming, Simchat Bat [welcoming a daughter]
  • Life Cycle Rituals: Birth. Orthodox Simchat Bat (JOFA)


    Dec. 25, Jan. 1 - No class


    • Jan. 8 - Intro. to the Jewish Calendar (p. 87)
  • Hebrew Calendar Science and Myths
    • Remy Landau
  • Hebrew Calendar Date Converter (English to Hebrew or Hebrew to English)


    • Jan. 15 - Bar/Bat Mitzvah (p. 233)
  • Bar/Bat Mitzvah Date and Torah Portion Finder

  • Jewish Life Cycle: Bar and Bat Mitzvah

  • Articles on Bar and Bat Mitzvah (JOFA)

  • Toward a Meaningful Bat Mitzvah
    • ed. Nancy Wolfson-Moche (Targum Shlishi)

  • Areyvut's B'nai Mitzvah Resources


    • Jan. 22 - Marriage (p. 197)
  • Jewish Life Cycle: Weddings


    • Jan 29 - Divorce (p. 207)
  • Jewish Divorce Issues

  • Divorce, Remarriage and Mamzerut

  • Agunah Advocacy Project and Reference Material (JOFA)


    • Feb. 5 - Tu b'Shevat (p. 161)
  • Overview of Tu B'Shevat

  • Tu B'Shevat Seder Haggadah
    • compiled by Marsha B. Cohen


    Feb. 12 - Conversion and Adoption (p. 251)
  • Conversion to Judaism (about.com)


    • Feb. 19 - Rituals of Death and Burial (p. 231)
  • Jewish Funerals


    • Feb. 26 - Rituals of Mourning (p. 241)
  • Death and Mourning in Judaism (about.com)
  • Women and Kaddish
    • Joel B. Wolowelsky (Judaism, Summer,1995)

  • Articles on Women Reciting Kaddish (JOFA)

  • Yahrtzeit date finder
    • (converts secular date to Hebrew or Hebrew date to secular)


    March 5 - Purim (p. 155)
  • So You Think You Know EVERYTHING About Purim?


    • March 12 - Laws and Customs of Kosher Observance(p. 129)
  • Kosher: An Overview (OK)
  • Glossary of Kosher Terms
  • "And You Shall Schecht...and You Shall Eat"
    by Rabbi Zushe Blech, MK Vaad News & Views
  • Kashrut Symbols
  • Kashrut Articles
    (fish, birds, exotic animals, liquor, vitamins and medications)
  • Classic Jewish Recipes Archive



    • March 19 and 26 - Pesach [Passover] (p. 265) and the Seder (p. 269)
  • Marsha B. Cohen's "Practical-ly Pesach" Resources



    • April 2 - Yom ha-Shoa [Holocaust Remembrance Day] (p. 177) and Tisha b'Av (p. 215)

  • A Reconstructionist D'var Torah: Shabbat Nahamu - Parashat Va-ethanan
    • Richard Hirsh (JRF)

  • Visible and Halachic Sunrise/Sunset Times(Kashrut.com).
  • Marsha's EasyFast Special Stew


    • April 9, 16 - No class


    • April 23 - Yom HaZikkaron [Israel Memorial Day] and Yom HaAtzmaut [Israel Independence Day] (p. 295)
  • Jacob Richman's Hot Sites: Israel Independence Day

  • Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut, Howard Jachter


    • May 8 - Yom HaAtzmaut. No class


    April 30 - Mikveh [Ritual Immersion] (p. 583)
    Double Session Field Trip


  • "Discussing Niddah, Mikveh, Family Purity," Joseph Kaplan
  • "Integrating Mikveh and Modernity," Blu Greenberg (CLAL)
  • "A Touching Revolution,"Yair Sheleg


    • May 7 - Purposes Double Session (No Rhythms class)

    May 14 - Beit HaKnesset (Synagogue) (p. 65)
  • Reinventing Synagogues by Sidney Schwarz, JRF Quarterly)
  • Articles on Mechitza(JOFA)

  • Women and the Minyan/font>
    • David J.Fine, Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly (pdf)

  • Articles on Women's Tefilla Groups (JOFA)

  • Qeri'at ha-Torah by Women (Edah Journal)


    May 21 - Shavuot (p. 207)

  • Shavuot (Jewish.Com)


    • Graduation of all second year Melton Students - June 1




    Marsha B. Cohen, PhD
    Instructor, Florence Melton Adult Mini-School
    South Dade, Miami, Florida
    E-mail: marshaco@yahoo.com


    Click here for Marsha B. Cohen's Jewish Personal Training Website