Harvey and the Mitzvah of Response Shabbat Parashat Ki Tetze September 2, 2017- 11 Elul 5777 Dear Friends, The Jewish month of Elul is in full swing. The High Holy Days are approaching. And, with the passage of these precious days of Elul, we do our best to prepare for the Continue Reading »
Trees and Us Shabbat Parashat Shoftim August 26, 2017- 4 Elul 5777 Dear Friends, Yesterday, I sat in on an interior design committee meeting where we discussed the nature of various types of wood and how they might help us make our new Sanctuary beautiful, functional, and inspiring. Often, we Continue Reading »
Unity and Diversity Shabbat Parashat Re’eh Shabbat Mevarekhim HaChodesh August 19, 2017- 27 Av 5777 Dear Friends, How can we respond to the horrific events in Charlottesville? Watching the videos of hundereds of neo-Nazis, KKK, white supremecists, and other hate groups walking through UVA carrying torches and chanting anti-semitic slogans was difficult enough. Reading the Continue Reading »
Shema Revisited! Shabbat Parashat Ekev August 12, 2017- 20 Av 5777 Dear Friends, We all know the Shema in the context of the verse: Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheynu, Adonai Echad [Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One]. But, the Hebrew word Shema means so much more than “Hear.” Continue Reading »
Shema! Shabbat Parashat VaEtchanan Shabbat Nachamu August 5, 2017- 13 Av 5777 Dear Friends, This Shabbat we read the Torah portion of VaEtchanan which includes both the Ten Commandments and the Torah phrase that has become the watchword of our people: Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheynu, Adonai Echad [Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Continue Reading »
Fast Forward: Fewer Fists Shabbat Parashat Devarim Shabbat Chazon July 29, 2017- 6 Av 5777 Dear Friends, This Shabbat has a special name: Shabbat Chazon [Vision Sabbath]. It gets its name from the first word of the Haftarah which opens with the words: Chazon Yeshayahu [The vision of Isaiah]. This Haftarah is read each year Continue Reading »
A Pioneering Spirit Shabbat Parashat Mattot-Mas’ey Shabbat Mevarekhim HaChodesh July 22, 2017- 28 Tammuz 5777 Dear Friends, You may be familiar with the Hebrew word for pioneer: chalutz, or in the plural form, pioneers: chalutzim. This ancient Hebrew word holds a great message in it….As a way of beginning to explore the depth of this Continue Reading »
It’s Obvious! Or, Is It…? Shabbat Parashat Pinchas July 15, 2017- 21 Tammuz 5777 Dear Friends, How often are we sure that what seems to us to be obvious truth, will be automatically be seen as obvious truth to those around us? And, how often are we disappointed when those around us fail to see Continue Reading »
Minor Fasts: Major Messages Shabbat Parashat Balak July 8, 2017- 14 Tammuz 5777 Dear Friends, Our Torah portion, Balak, tells an ancient story that resonates today as we read of the United Nations most recent declaration that the Old City of Hebron and the Tomb of the Patriarchs (know as: Machpelah) where our Continue Reading »
Striving for Holiness – One Day at a Time! Shabbat Parashat Korach Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Tammuz June 23, 2017- 30 Sivan 5777 Dear Friends, The final section of last week’s parsha dealt with the mitzvah of tzitzit. We are to place four fringes on a four-cornered garment and by so doing we Continue Reading »
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