As we enter the season of “teshuvah” and return, I have been thinking a lot about the Jewish community I grew up in. I grew up in Sioux City, Iowa. There weren’t many Jewish kids, but our synagogue was a true intergenerational community. I was always invited in, encouraged to...
David Byrne, the lead singer of the Talking Heads, sings ‘the world was moving she was right there with it, and she was.’ The song, ‘And She Was,’ appeared on their 1985 album, Little Creatures. I’m not sure what he intended when he wrote that line, but – for me...
Preparation takes work. As I get ready to return to school- yes, Organic Chemistry, I’ve been reflecting on how much energy, organization, and intention it truly takes to step into something new. The beginning of a school year can feel full of promise or overwhelming, depending on what support is...
This week we come to the Torah portion of Re’eh, which opens with these harrowing words: ‘See this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Eternal your God that I enjoin upon you this day; and curse, if you do not...
On August 14 KI won the Delaware Valley Synagogue Softball League Silver Cup! The Silver Cup is awarded to the champion of the second division of the league, whose mission is to foster fellowship and friendship among affiliated members of the Jewish community, and strengthen those bonds through competition and camaraderie. In addition...
This week’s Torah portion, Eikev, teaches us that gratitude is meant to overflow into blessing and song—You shall eat, be satisfied, and bless” (Deut. 8:10). Jewish life teaches that when our bellies and hearts are full, we sing! Yesterday KI was filled with song, and the heart of our community...
What does it mean to be a progressive Zionist? What does it mean to live between those on the far left, opposed to every Israeli action, and those on the far right, for whom Israel can do no wrong? What does it mean to love a place and a people...
This week we read the third of three Haftarah portions that precede Tisha B’Av, the day that commemorates the fall of the great Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70. These three portions each admonish the Israelites for straying from God, from Torah and from their fellow Jews. This third...
A few years ago, I filled out a simple volunteer form for the Women’s Center of Montgomery County, an organization that helps free victims of domestic violence and other forms of abuse. I checked the box that said “occasional help.” I thought I’d maybe help out here and there, but...
Thirty-one of us are just returning home after a powerful and transformative experience in Eastern Europe. We stayed in Warsaw and Krakow, once centers of Jewish life. We saw the horrors of Auschwitz – Birkenau with our own eyes. With every step there was so much to process. A smaller...
