From the period that began before Purim, extending to Passover and then on to Shavuot, OU Executive Vice President Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb is being heard weekly on OU Radio, www.ouradio.org, with a timely series of broadcasts on Prayer and the Prayer Book – Series II. The sessions are devoted to Purim (now archived); the special Sabbaths between Purim and Passover; the Passover Haggadah; the Israeli Day of Remembrance (Yom HaZikkaron) and Independence Day (Yom Ha’Atzmaut); Ethics of the Fathers (Pirkei Avos); Lag B’Omer; Jerusalem Day (Yom Yerushalayim); and the Festival of Shavout.
Rabbi Weinreb’s Prayer and the Prayer Book Series 1 lectures were devoted to an in-depth study of basic prayers.
The Series II broadcasts are available as a download or podcast, as well as streamed. There will also be a link to the broadcasts from the Orthodox Union’s website, www.ou.org.
According to Rabbi Weinreb, “My intention is to provide these programs weekly as we proceed to Purim, Passover, the days of Sefira (Counting of the Omer), and Shavuot. I will be focusing on the special prayers and themes of these special days and hope it will complement my Series I, which was a more text-focused study of the basic prayers.”
“I am very gratified,” Rabbi Weinreb continued, “by those who have responded to this series and who have offered words of praise and words of constructive advice.”
The schedule for Series II is as follows:
Thursday, February 23, Parshas Shekalim – now archived on ouradio.org
Thursday, March 2, Purim – now archived on ouradio.org
Thursday, March 9 – Parshas Zachor – now archived on ouradio.org
Thursday, March 16 – Parshas Parah
Thursday, March 23 – Parshas HaChodesh
Thursday, March 30 – The Passover Haggadah
Thursday April 6 – The Passover Haggadah
Thursday April 27 – Yom HaZikkaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut
Thursday May 4 – Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers)
Thursday May 11 – Lag B’Omer
Thursday May 18 – Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers)
Thursday May 25 – YomYerushalayim
Wednesday May 31 – Shavuot
In addition, Rabbi Weinreb will soon begin a weekly series on ouradio.org of brief ten minute biographies on Jewish Personalities from 1806 to 2006. They will also be downloadable.
The first ten bios will be:
1. Rav Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg — “Seridei Aish”
2. Mr. Irving Bunim
3. Rav Ben Zion Meir Chai Uziel
4. Rav Yechezkel Abramsky — “Chazon Yechezkel”
5. Rav Yekusiel Y. Halberstam — the Klausenberger Rebbe
6. Rav Shaul Taub, the Modzitzer Rebbe
7. Rav Meir Leibish Malbim
8. Rav Ezriel Hildesheimer
9. Rav Yaakov Ettlinger, “Aruch LaNer”
10. Rav Moshe Sofer, “Chasam Sofer.”