Yesterday our middle son Elijah returned from six weeks in Israel. It was early in the morning when we picked him up but he was full of life and ready to talk my ear off about his life-changing trip. He told me about Shabbat in Jerusalem, hiking up Masada at...
Our youngest daughter, Kira, will do just about anything to drive. She is getting her license in October, and I am more than happy to take her out for every bit of practice she can get. It’s as much a preparation for her to be out there on her own...
Our Torah portion this week will state: “For what great nation is there that has a god so close at hand as is the Eternal our God whenever we call out?” (Deuteronomy 4:7) The Israelites will experience the closeness of God time and again. God is with them, by their...
KI is all about engagement. Here, we engage with Torah. We engage with Israel. We engage with our past. We engage with hard questions. We engage once and again with each other. These days, there’s a lot with which to engage. Our world is frequently shifting beneath our feet, then...
Dear KI Families, My name is Elyse Herman, and I am thrilled to introduce myself as KI’s Engagement Coordinator. Whether you are new to our congregation or have been part of the KI family for many years, I want to extend a heartfelt welcome. I have been part of the...
In this week’s Torah portion, the tribes of Reuben and Gad make an extraordinary commitment. Although they have already found the land where they hope to settle, they tell Moses, “We will not return to our homes until the other Israelites are in possession of their portion.” (Numbers 32:18) They...
Shabbat shalom to all of you here in the sanctuary, and those streaming. Thank you to the KI community for having the trust and belief in me to serve in this very prestigious position at this pivotal time in our history as a people, the Jewish community at large, and...
“I’ve never scored a goal in my life without getting a pass from someone else.” – Abby Wambach, international soccer superstar Tonight, I address you for the final time as President of KI, after four gratifying one-year terms. I’ll share with you my profound thanks, a perspective on service, a...
Everyone’s talking about the Knicks. The Knicks this and the Knicks that. This is their first championship in fifty-three years. They are a comeback story. They are an underdog story. No one picked them. Then they put an entire city on their back and did the impossible. They knocked out...
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...
