Tidbits of Torah

Shabbat Parashat B’Midbar Shabbat Machar Chodesh Shabbat Mevarekhim HaChodesh Preparing for Shavuot and for Confirmation! May 19, 2023 – 29 Iyyar 5783

Posted on May 19, 2023

Dear Friends, I hope you will join us for services this Friday night to celebrate our New Members and our Religious School Teachers and Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tutors!  Our Religious School Teachers and our Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tutors do such outstanding work with our youth!  Yasher koach to all of them! This Shabbat morning we will be Continue Reading »

Shabbat Parashat Tazria and Metsora Rosh Chodesh Iyyar Day 2 Israel and Community April 21, 2023 – 1 Iyyar 5783

Posted on May 1, 2023

Dear Friends, Believe it or not….This coming week, Israel is celebrating her 75th birthday!  Mazal Tov to us all! We will be having a special Israeli foods dinner tonight after Kabbalat Shabbat services with an Israel trivia game included as part of the evening’s celebration.  Join us! On Sunday the UJCVP will be holding an Continue Reading »

Shabbat Parashat Acharei-Mot/Kedoshim The Quest for Holiness April 28, 2023 – 8 Iyyar 5783

Posted on May 1, 2023

Dear Friends, Our double Torah portion includes the parsha of Kedoshim [Holy].  The quest for holiness is ongoing and complex.  Only God is “fully” holy.  As human beings, we can only strive to achieve levels of holiness; to hold onto them or we to rise up in our levels of holiness. Parashat Kedoshim includes various ways Continue Reading »

Shabbat Parashat Vayikra Can You Take This Call? March 24, 2023 – 3 Nisan 5783

Posted on March 24, 2023

Dear Friends, I hope you will join us this Friday night and Shabbat morning as we celebrate the bar mitzvah of Levi Lacey.  Mazal Tov to Levi and to his entire family! This Shabbat we are reading the beginning of the third book of the Five Books of Moses, Leviticus, or Vayikra as it is Continue Reading »

Shabbat Parashat VaYakhel-Pekudei Shabbat HaChodesh Shabbat Mevarekhim HaChodesh The Value of Diversity and Inclusion March 17, 2023 – 25 Adar 5783

Posted on March 17, 2023

Dear Friends, Passover is just around the corner!  This Shabbat we will be reciting the blessing for the new Jewish month of Nisan – the month in which, according to the Torah, our people experienced the Exodus from Egypt – one of the greatest “transitions” of all times.  Rosh Chodesh Nisan will be on Wednesday Continue Reading »

Shabbat Parashat Ki Tissa Shabbat Parah Cows (!) and Effect… March 10, 2023 – 18 Adar 5783

Posted on March 10, 2023

Dear Friends, I hope you will join us this Friday night and Shabbat for Men’s Club Shabbat which promises to be great fun.  I suppose it is “cause (or cows) and effect”, that we gather together on a few extra special Shabbatot as we gear up for Passover, hoping to be spiritually prepared for the Continue Reading »

Shabbat Parashat Tetsaveh Shabbat Zachor What Should I Wear? March 3, 2023 – 11 Adar 5783

Posted on March 6, 2023

Dear Friends, As Purim approaches, many of us find ourselves asking: “What Should I Wear?” to the Megillah reading.  Of course, we ask ourselves a similar question on many other ocassions as well….What Should I Wear?  Fun clothing? Old clothing? New clothing? Fancy clothing? Relaxed clothing?  In our society, for the most part,  we have so many Continue Reading »

Shabbat Parashat Mishpatim Shabbat Shekalim Shabbat Mevarekhim HaChodesh Our Participation Counts February 17, 2023 – 27 Shevat 5783

Posted on February 17, 2023

Dear Friends, This is a special Shabbat!  Of course, every Shabbat is special, simply because it is sanctified as “special” time – holy time.  But this Shabbat is extra special. This is the first of four special Shabbatot that lead up to Passover.  Shabbat Shekalim gets its special name from the Maftir Aliyah that is Continue Reading »

Shabbat Parashat Yitro Following Through February 10, 2022 – 20 Shevat 5783

Posted on February 10, 2023

Dear Friends, How easy is it for us to proverbially “put the cart before the horse”?  How many times have we jumped to conclusions and acted upon them before we figured out that our conclusions were based on erroneous assumptions? Of course, we should think before we act. However, there is also a danger in Continue Reading »

Shabbat Parashat B’Shalach Shabbat Shirah Singing in the Rain! February 3, 2022 – 13 Shevat 5783

Posted on February 3, 2023

Dear Friends, How long should we wait before we sing a joyous song?  Should we wait until the world is perfect?  Should we wait until all injustice and misfortune are defeated?  If we did, we might never get a chance to sing!  Of course, the old favorite song, “Singing in the Rain” gives us a Continue Reading »