Elie Wiesel wrote about marking Simchat Torah while interred in Auschwitz. There were of course no Torah scrolls to be found. Life was a harrowing, belittling reality. Food was scarce. Death lived around every corner. Robbed of their dignity, inmates struggled not only to live, but to remember who they...
View in Browser Dear Congregational Partners, We hope you are enjoying a very happy, healthy, and sweet start to the new year. As always, we are grateful for your partnership and support. We wanted to follow up on our e-mail from the end of the summer with some reminders and...
“And the Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Say to the Israelite people: On the fifteenth day on this seventh month there shall be a Feast of Booths to the Eternal One to last seven days’” (Leviticus 23:33). Sukkot is everything Yom Kippur is not: light, upbeat, outdoors, casual and...
Have we gone numb to the pain? As I write these words, countries on the other side of the globe are recovering from mass devastation. In Morocco, an historic earthquake took the lives of over 2,000 people. In Libya, a mass flooding event has claimed thousands of lives. This, following...
Our Torah states that on Rosh HaShanah we are to mark ‘a sacred occasion’ (Lev 23:24). Our commentators will define Rosh HaShanah as a ‘day of remembrance.’ The Talmud will note that this is one of many new beginnings we celebrate amid the year. Our sages will also refer to...
I love my job. I would not even call it a job; it is a life or a lifestyle. You are not a rabbi only when the synagogue is open or only during the day. You are not a rabbi only on Shabbat or during the High Holy Days. It...
Shalom! As we conclude another incredible summer at Camp Harlam, we want to thank you for your ongoing support. The relationship between camp and the congregations in our region are critical to our growth, development, and success. We wanted to share some important information with you as we now shift...
People are flocking to see the new Barbie movie which, as of this writing, has earned over $700 million in box office revenue. It is the hit of the summer and the film that has brought America back to the movies. Why is Barbie so popular? And why exactly is...
In August of 1897 Theodor Herzl brought together Jewish leaders from around the globe. They met in Basel, Switzerland. The attire was formal. The event would prove to be historic. The subject of the meeting: the need for a home for the Jewish people. Herzl’s vision was to garner support...
If you have ever been to Israel, you know what it feels like to land back in America. You are exhausted. You are fulfilled. You are both energized and dragging. That is how I feel as I write this. This week I came back to the synagogue after an extraordinary...
