This week we mark the Fourth of July. Americans will take to the beaches. They will join in parades. They will fill the sky with fireworks. There will be barbecues and American music, cherry pie and domestic beer. We will mark 249 years since the formal founding of the United...
As I write these words, Israel and Iran have agreed to a very delicate and fragile ceasefire. Following two anxious weeks of bombs and missiles, these two nations have put down their weapons. Iranian leadership has long stood adamantly opposed to Israel (and America). We are the eternal scapegoats not...
KI will be closed this Thursday in honor of Juneteenth. This holiday has us acknowledge the end of slavery and the ultimate enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation. On Juneteenth, we recall the date of June 19, 1865, when this momentous occasion took place. It marked a turning point not only for...
It is with great joy and excitement that we welcome Alyssa (Lys) Davidson as the new Director of Choral Arts at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel, following in the footsteps of our beloved Hazzan David Tilman, who retired this past year. Lys brings a rich and dynamic background in music education...
There is a story in the Talmud of two rabbis who seem attracted to each other. Everything about their interaction suggests romantic interest. One goes as far as marrying the sister of the other, so that they can always be close to each other. These two sages, and so many...
Jewish communities around the world marked Yom Yerushalayim earlier this week. It is a minor holiday all things considered and, in some places, hardly acknowledged at all. Jerusalem Day celebrates the unification of Jerusalem, which took place at the conclusion of the Six-Day War in June of 1967. This war...
Happy special birthday to Judy Maslin. Judy, who holds a Masters in Art History, is the founding director of the Temple Judea Museum. During her time running the museum she set a gold standard for all who follow her. She seamlessly integrated the separate collections of Keneseth Israel and Temple...
On the evening of June 1 at 7pm, our amazing Confirmation class will take to the bima to lead us in prayer and song. Taking part in our beloved custom of Confirmation, they will share their words of wisdom and reflect on the year we spent together. They are a...
I was walking down the hall the other day here at KI and there was a pre-school class approaching me. They were supposed to be walking in a line – I think. They were walking in their version of a line. As they got closer, we all said hi to...
This week we read Parashat Kedoshim, which begins with the commandment: “You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal your God, am holy.” These words remind us that holiness is not just a state of being, but a way of living in relationship with one another. Holiness is found in...
