During the Great Revolt that ended with the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 70CE, Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkay wanted to promote peace, both among Jews and between Jews and Romans. He realized that his…
Yesterday I was asked by students in the Religious School why we observe an eighth day of Pessah. Sometimes I feel I would love to have one day less of Pessah, yet most years, when I get to the…
In the Babylonian Talmud, in the tractate Berakhot page 60b, we have a passage that serves as the basis for our daily morning blessings. The rabbis go through what would be a wake up routine, and offer a…
We hope you will have a good Shabbat, peaceful and healthy. Mazal tov to Dalia Singer, her parents, Gary and Jeannie, and her siblings, Jacob and Aviva. We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you later in the…
The whole world is a very narrow bridge; the most important thing is to not be afraid. Kol Haolam kulo, Gesher tzar me’od – VeHayikar loh l’fahed klal I believe many of us have sung this song…
We’re now into our second week of quarantine. In the past week, I have learned a few different skills and embarked in a few different projects. I will share with you some suggestions of learning and meditation:…
Shabbat shalom! Below you will find a description and discussion of what is happening on this Shabbat. I hope you enjoy the reading and that you have discussions with your family about them. If you are going…
Psalm 133 is very short, and very hard to translate. I will share with you how I read it. A song of ascents. Of David.How good and how pleasant it iswhen people dwell together.It is like fine…
Today, I offer you a prayer for this turbulent time. ETERNAL,Make me like the disciples of Aharon HaKohen,Loving and pursuing peace,extending kindness to all human beingsand bringing them close to the teachings of our tradition.[1] When there…
On Saturday, March 7, 2020, we learned and were entertained by Seth Kibel’s presentation, “The Jews of American Jazz.” The session was an examination of the personalities, lives and careers of Jewish-American musicians — including George Gershwin,…