Joni Mitchell famously sang, ‘they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.’ We at KI didn’t pave paradise, but we did put down a new parking lot in these last few days. Is the rabbi about to make a new parking lot have some kind of Jewish meaning? Is...
I don’t like it when the High Holy Days come so early. I always feel like I don’t have enough time to prepare my spirit for all that is to come, and I’m still in summer mode! Perhaps you are thinking the same way. But as I was thinking about...
This week, like so many parents across the country, we are dropping one of our children off at college. Noa will become a freshman at Adelphi University in New York. She is smart, creative and brave. She is ready. Arguably, she’s more than ready. As for her parents, we are convincing ourselves...
It feels really good to let go—until it doesn’t. As we begin turning toward the New Year, we have the opportunity to think about what we want to let go of: mistakes, decisions, hurts, expectations, and the things we simply don’t want to carry with us anymore. It is easy...
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...
