This week alone we have read about a school shooting in Nashville, mass protests in Israel around agonizing and anti-democratic proposals, tainted drinking water in Philadelphia, the continued escalation of violence in Ukraine and a tornado that brought havoc to many residents of Mississippi. All of this, on top of...
This week we begin the Book of Leviticus. It’s the third book of the Torah and often considered an archaic and challenging book. It relays, among other things, the details around the ritual sacrifices our ancestors made in the earliest days of Judaism. We read about the sacrifices that existed...
I spent this weekend in DC with a fantastic group of tenth graders from our congregation. We were there as part of the Religious Action Center’s L’Taken program, which teaches teens about advocacy, Jewish values, and how to speak truth to power. In addition to various programs on the issues,...
Dear Friends: I know there are so many reasons to feel distressed these days: War rages on in Ukraine. Natural disasters, such as the devastating earthquake in Turkey, uproot countless lives and lead to mass casualties. Political gamesmanship here in the U.S. continues to wreak havoc on the many just...
Like you, I watched the Super Bowl. It was a great game: dramatic, close, wrought with emotion and subplots. Like you, I was disappointed by the outcome. We were so close! Now we Eagles fans wait until next year and hope we get another shot at glory. As always, there...
We have all been there. You have a plan, then life happens. The saying is spot-on: ‘We plan; God laughs.’ How many times has it happened to you? Your day is interrupted by weather or some inconvenience, traffic, a missed appointment, someone cancels. You get re-routed. You get lost. You...
This Friday has us observe International Holocaust Remembrance Day. We will join with others from around the world to remember and honor the six million whose lives are no more. We will pledge yet again to build a world predicated on understanding and compassion, one that allows for diversity along...
The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. calls us to action. A prophet, a teacher, a preacher and leader, he helped move our world in the direction of fairness and equality. He lived in a time when the south was wrought with hate and prejudice and yet he stood...
While standing at the start, the journey ahead always seems uncertain. Here we are at the beginning of 2023. A long, full, busy year awaits. We pray it will be a year of health and happiness, fulfillment and life. We pray that there will be joy and laughter, learning and...
The Talmud teaches that we should place our Hanukkah menorah ‘at the entrance to one’s house on the outside’ so that passersby can see it. If one lives upstairs, they place it ‘in the window adjacent to the public domain.’ The idea is that we should publicize the miracle. This...
