While the Fourth of the July is traditionally the time for flag waving, fireworks and barbeques, it can also serve as a day for serious reflection about the founding of the United States and the ideals and contradictions of the American Revolution. While perhaps no single person more fully defined...
Under the rubble of collapsed hope on the beach near Miami a lost paradise now lies shattered in a million pieces of concrete. Hope is resilient and sends heroes to the top of that heap of shattered dreams and twisted steel while anxious family and friends stand guard by the...
The Torah portion of Balak teaches us a strange story. All the miraculous events that we have learned about in the Torah thus far can be comprehended in their historical context, but the story of the talking she-donkey and her master Balaam who, upon command to curse the Israelites, can...
The IRA Charitable Rollover provision allows individuals who have reached the age of 70 1/2 to donate up to $100,000 annually to charitable organizations directly from their individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) without treating the distribution as taxable income. Your gift can be designated toward membership, the Spring Fundraiser, a general...
In the Sheva B’rachot, the traditional seven wedding blessings, the final blessings make reference to the joy of children at play, and the joyous sounds of shouting and singing that happens when we gather together in celebrations. Over the pandemic, I often thought about this blessing. We live close to...
On July 1, my final year at KI will begin. This summer will be a time of reflection for me and for all of us. Several programs (Rabbi’s Talk and Zoneg) this year made me realize that one of the dimensions of our synagogue that has evolved significantly during the...
The Torah portion for this week (June 6-12, 2021) tells the story of the unwarranted and costly attack on Moses and the leadership of the Exodus led by the unscrupulous rebel leader Korach after whom the parasha (Numbers 16) is named. It represented the most serious and bloody attempt to...
Dear Congregants, In my January President’s Blog, I wrote about the Jewish values that were guiding our congregation throughout the pandemic. I continue to feel that it is of utmost importance that we be guided by the values of Pikuah Nefesh (Safeguarding Life) and Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh Bazeh (We...
In this week’s Torah portion, Shelach L’cha, it tells us that spies are sent out ahead of our people to scout the Land of Israel to report on the inhabitants and the country. Despite the positive report of Joshua and Caleb, that the land was “flowing with milk and honey,”...
B’ha-a-lo-techa: The March Begins, Miriam’s Nastiness, Moses’ Verbal Prayer for Her Good Health, and To Bigotry No Sanction As we begin the reading of B’haalotecha, the third portion of B’Midbar/Numbers, the Israelites remain encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai. They stay at this location for a full year after...
