Parashat R’eih: The Pageant on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal; Once Again: The MiSinai Melodies in the High Holy Day Services We begin to study the portion R’eih, and we learn about a new educational methodology used by Mosheh Rabbeinu/Moses our Teacher, as he delivers his final teachings to the Children of...

Sefer D’varim: The Fifth Book of the Torah The Ninth Day of Av, Completing Vacation Season, and Preparation for the High Holy Days in Shir KI This Shabbat always marks the midpoint of the summer vacation season. The weather is still warm and the days are long. But as we...

Parashat Balak: The Talking She-Donkey; Ma Tovu; SHIR KI, Our Adult Choir, Begins Again, and The Choir Needs You! This week’s Torah portion is one of only two Sidrot/portions out of the over fifty in the complete Torah that is named for a non-Jew! The Torah portion of Balak teaches...

B’ha-a-lo-techa: The March Begins, Building the Menorah and the Trumpets, Prayer for Miriam’s Good Health. Shir KI Returns to Verizon, April 2023, and We Need You! We are returning to the Verizon Hall stage in April 2023 to celebrate Israel 75, and we want you to join us! If you...

Last Shabbat evening, the KI congregational family joined together for a joyous and moving tribute to Rabbi Lance J. Sussman, our retiring Rabbi. I conducted a special musical program presented by our sensational volunteer choir, Shir KI, professional vocal quartet, including Abbe Chapman, soprano; Jenifer Smith, mezzo; Steven VanName, Tenor;...

Parashat K’doshim-The Portion of Holiness Rabbi Hillel: “This Is The Entire Torah; The Rest Is Commentary!” Israel Independence Day 74 By Hazzan David F. Tilman The portion of Kedoshim, Leviticus 19:1-20:27, is a relatively short Torah reading. In most years, this Parashah is read together with the preceding portion, Acharei...

This coming Shabbat, we shall read the portion Aharei Mot/After the Death (of the two older sons of Aaron). We continue our progression through the third Torah book of Vayikra/Leviticus. As I have indicated in previous weeks, this book is filled with complex laws concerning the beginning of the sacrificial...

Parashat Sh’mini is the third Torah portion in the book of Vayikra/Leviticus. We learn ideas, concepts, and practices that remain meaningful and relevant to Jews today throughout the world. The portion opens with the completion of the eight-day ceremony for the consecration of the Priests/Kohanim charged with conducting the sacrificial...

This coming Shabbat, we begin reading the third book of the Torah, VAYIKRA: “The Eternal One called to Moses…” VAYIKRA is the name of both the complete third book, and its first portion we read on this Shabbat. The third book of the Torah is also known by its Greek...

The Parashah of T’tzaveh is directed at both a settled and evolving community of Jews. The sidrah contains very detailed instructions presented by G-d to be transmitted by Moses to the Jewish people. There are several passages in this portion that are meaningful to our religious lives and patterns of...