Christmas week poses fascinating and perhaps harsh questions for our people. Do we lean in or out? Do we look away? How do we discuss the holiday when our kids ask about it? What do we make of a national culture so totally consumed with the rites and norms of...
I read the following quote recently, from Karen Hesse, author of the children’s book, The Stone Lamp: Eight Stories of Hanukkah Through History. The quote goes as follows: ‘Sometimes a flame can be utterly extinguished. Sometimes, a flame can shrink and waver, but sometimes a flame refuses to go out....
In this week’s Torah portion, Vayeishev, Joseph shares his dreams with his brothers. He thinks he’s simply telling them what he saw. But they hear something entirely different. His dreams stir up all the old hurts in the family: competition, favoritism, the fear of being overlooked. Their reaction reveals more...
The HaMotzi November Thanksgiving Dinner was a Huge Success! It was our most attended of the entire year and involved the most volunteers! ++ Much Appreciation to the November Dinner Sponsors: Lois and Stan Singer Aaron Kraus and Rhonda McKitten in memory of Ellen Finkelstein, a devoted HaMotzi volunteer ++ Monthly...
When I was in rabbinic school, I was assigned this week’s Torah portion, Vayishlach. I was to give a sermon on it to the student body, as well as the esteemed faculty, which consisted of renowned rabbis, cantors and teachers. In the portion, we read about Jacob preparing to reunite...
In this week’s portion we read the famous story of twin brothers Jacob and Esau. Though twins, they are hardly alike. Esau is outdoorsy, a hunter, his flesh red and hairy. Jacob meanwhile is meek, inclined to be indoors, studious and understated. With Rebecca’s help, Jacob will usurp the birthright...
Every song, no matter how beautiful, must eventually come to an end. What gives it meaning is not only the notes that are played, but the silence that follows, the quiet that allows us to feel what lingers…inviting us to pause, to listen differently, and to recognize what endures. In...
On Friday night we will honor the congregants who make lifelong learning possible at KI. Caryl and Mike Levin have done so much for our community over the years, making learning real across the age span. By helping us to learn as adults, they and their wonderful volunteers have made...
This weekend, around the world, kids will dress up for Halloween. They’ll go door-to-door for candy. Yards will be decorated with spiders and spider webs and all the spooky accoutrements of this time of year. Haunted houses will be visited. Ghost stories will be told. Even still, there are even...
Last week, when we saw the first images of hostages reunited with their families, there was a collective sigh of relief. Following two horrific years, these brave souls found themselves back in Israel and back in the arms of those they love. The twenty that came back are the lucky...
