I grew up in Iowa surrounded by the potential of food. Endless rows of corn and soybean fields stretched farther than the eye could see. One of our favorite family activities was simply driving to admire the beauty of the possibility planted in the earth. There was something holy about...
Shavuot is one of Judaism’s most beautiful celebrations because it reminds us that revelation did not happen only once at Mount Sinai. Torah must continually be renewed. Confirmation traditionally takes place on Shavuot because Shavuot celebrates the giving of Torah at Sinai. Just as our people stood together to receive...
In this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Behar, we read: “But in the seventh year the land shall have a complete rest, a Shabbat of the Eternal” (Leviticus 25:4). The land itself is commanded to pause, to breathe, and to restore itself. In the spirit of the upcoming Mother’s Day, Behar...
“Kedoshim tihyu”—you shall be holy. This line in Parashat Kedoshim feels both simple and impossibly expansive. We think of holiness as something elevated, distant, reserved for rare moments, but Kedoshim teaches that holiness is obtainable. Holiness is not reserved for the utmost sacred and distant—it is something we can all...
This weekend will truly be a community celebration of Brian Rissinger, our beloved Executive Director, who has served our synagogue with deep commitment and dedication for 20 years. As I was preparing for our Shabbat Spring Celebration Service, I began looking through photos of Brian to create a visual tribute....
This week, I found myself pausing, just for a moment, before walking into our building. To walk through a doorway is an act of trust. After the act of antisemitism at Temple Israel in Michigan last week, I felt like pausing, remembering that a man drove into their building with...
In this week’s Torah portion, Tetzaveh, the robe of the High Priest is sewn with gold bells along its hem. As he entered and left the Sanctuary, their sound would be heard. Each one of us is a gold bell, and as we pray together our voice resonates creating holiness....
This week we began our America 250 programming at KI. For Jewish communities in America, 250 years since 1776 carries particular significance. Ours is a people shaped by migration, building sacred life wherever we land. In America, Jewish life has not only survived, it has grown openly, creatively, and courageously....
This week’s Torah portion Bo places us at a moment of urgent departure. On the night of the Exodus, we are told to be dressed for the journey- to get our sandals, our “cloak”, a walking stick in hand, and ready to move at a moment’s notice (Exodus 12:11). We...
This week we begin the book of Shemot or “Names.” The Torah opens by naming Jacob’s sons and their families who went down to Egypt. Before telling the story of oppression or redemption, the Torah insists on something deeply human and essential: we are named, and we are known. We...
