B’ha-a-lo-techa: The March Begins, Miriam’s Nastiness, Moses’ Verbal Prayer for Her Good Health, and To Bigotry No Sanction As we begin the reading of B’haalotecha, the third portion of B’Midbar/Numbers, the Israelites remain encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai. They stay at this location for a full year after...
The recent events in Israel are very disconcerting and we are praying for those under attack who have to keep running to their bomb shelters. Our hearts go out to those who are undergoing these harrowing attacks and living in these dangerous times. Complexity exists in our beloved Israel. The...
This week for “Rabbi’s Talk,” a regular Wednesday night KI online zoom program, we learned about the Warsaw Ghetto on the 78th anniversary of the uprising. The Uprising began on the eve of Passover, April 18, 1943 and lasted for 27 days. Although of little military consequence, the Uprising nevertheless...
One of Judaism’s greatest contributions to civilization is Shabbat. Shabbat literally means “day of rest” but Shabbat is really much more than that. Shabbat is also a day of holiness, Torah and celebration. Shabbat is more than the cessation from work. Ultimately, it is the basis of modern labor law...
Dear Keneseth Israel Community, In Rabbi Sussman’s letter, he shared news of his decision to step down from his position as KI’s Senior Rabbi and begin the next phase of his life. As with any significant change, I imagine that you may greet this news with a broad range of...
From Warriors to Guardians: Reimagining Community Values in Policing May 4th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM Please join us for an important program on policing presented by KI members on the Eastern Montco Interfaith Coalition (EMIC) and Arcadia University. Presenters will include Eddie Graham, President of the Cheltenham Area Branch of...
This week, we read a double Torah portion. In the Jewish calendar as established by the Masoretes, the Rabbinic scholars living in Safed in the seventh and eighth centuries of the Common Era, there are 54 Torah portions. In the Jewish lunar/solar year, there are 50 weeks. On four Shabbatot...
This last week, the news has yet again been dominated by stories and images involving the police in the United States. On the one hand, there are ongoing reports of police departments on trial for the misbehavior of a few cops. On the other hand, there was also the gripping...
On June 11, 1989, correspondent Martin Weyl ran a lengthy piece in the New York Times entitled “How do Museums Speak the Unspeakable?” More than a survey of the then 19 Holocaust museums, 48 resource centers, 34 archival facilities, 12 memorials and 26 research institutes was a nagging question about...
I have been a cantor now for 21 years and was a student cantor for 3 years. In those 24 years of officiating at B’nai Mitzvahs, I could never call myself “the parent” of a Bar or Bat Mitzvah student….until now. I have had the honor of standing by the side of...
