This week we mark Yom HaShoah, honoring the lives lost during the Holocaust. Fewer and fewer survivors are among us. It is our job, therefore, to hold onto their stories and to tell these stories. We cannot forget what happens when hate goes unchecked, when dissent is silenced, when diversity is...
This year we have the opportunity to have a hand in shaping Israel’s future. Even from half a world away, we can help chart the future of our beloved Israel. The World Zionist Congress has met regularly for over a century. It was Theodor Herzl who convened the first Congress...
As we come to the end of the Book of Exodus, the Israelites learn anew the central precepts of the Torah: Keep the Sabbath, give tzedakah, and have a hand in building up a Jewish community of strength. The people will come forward to help create the first ever synagogue,...
For over 500 days now, we have watched the aftermath of that epically tragic moment in Jewish history. On October 7, 2023, terrorists ransacked Israeli villages and homes, slaughtering the innocent and taking hostage over 300 souls. Over 500 days of pain and sadness and grief. Our heart hurt more...
Friends, we are living in a moment that feels at once surreal and horrifying. Israel remains locked in a place of uncertainty, the status of hostages still an unknown. The President suggests that Gaza be emptied of its residents, shipped off to neighboring countries. He says with no irony or...
In this week’s Torah portion, Moses demands that Pharaoh ‘let my people go.’ It is an iconic moment of bravery and conviction. He speaks truth to power, urging the tyrannical leader to denounce his hateful actions and finally release the Israelites from bondage. Pharaoh has brought havoc, pain and immeasurable...
Over the last many months, with the help of our own Lee Slobotkin, I have been filming short videos to create an online library of Jewish information. These videos are designed to bring Jewish life to YOU in a new way. The videos range in content, touching on holidays, Jewish...
Friends, on Friday night, our service will honor the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We will join in music and prayer as we remember the extraordinary story of Dr King. He calls out to us still to keep caring, keep fighting, keep working for...
A new year comes and it brings the promise of a fresh start. In Judaism, we mark new beginnings with fanfare and joy. Think of Consecration, which marks the beginning of a student’s Jewish learning. Think of a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, marking the beginning of young adulthood. Think of...
In this season of miracles, I am so thankful for the miracles in my life, the life of our synagogue and in the Jewish story itself. Let’s say it clearly: Our being here was never inevitable. Each one of us lives only because of the countless miracles that enabled our...
