This Shabbat, we begin the reading of the fifth book of the Torah, the book of D’varim. Sefer D’varim is very different from the other four Torah books we have read up to now. The time span of this volume is small; Moses begins to speak his three discourses exactly...
When and where are we worshipping? During July and August 2021, Friday Evening Services at 6:00 p.m. We were blessed with good weather for our opening Summer Shabbat Services in our “Tent of Meeting” on June 18th and 25th but on July 2nd the threat of thunderstorms led us inside...
In this week’s Torah portion, Matot- Masey we close the book of Numbers. The words: Matot-Masey, mean “tribes-journeys.” At the end of the portion two of the 12 tribes, tell Moses that they would like to stay outside of the Promised Land. The tribes of Gad and Reuben felt that...
While the Fourth of the July is traditionally the time for flag waving, fireworks and barbeques, it can also serve as a day for serious reflection about the founding of the United States and the ideals and contradictions of the American Revolution. While perhaps no single person more fully defined...
Under the rubble of collapsed hope on the beach near Miami a lost paradise now lies shattered in a million pieces of concrete. Hope is resilient and sends heroes to the top of that heap of shattered dreams and twisted steel while anxious family and friends stand guard by the...
The Torah portion of Balak teaches us a strange story. All the miraculous events that we have learned about in the Torah thus far can be comprehended in their historical context, but the story of the talking she-donkey and her master Balaam who, upon command to curse the Israelites, can...
The IRA Charitable Rollover provision allows individuals who have reached the age of 70 1/2 to donate up to $100,000 annually to charitable organizations directly from their individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) without treating the distribution as taxable income. Your gift can be designated toward membership, the Spring Fundraiser, a general...
In the Sheva B’rachot, the traditional seven wedding blessings, the final blessings make reference to the joy of children at play, and the joyous sounds of shouting and singing that happens when we gather together in celebrations. Over the pandemic, I often thought about this blessing. We live close to...
On July 1, my final year at KI will begin. This summer will be a time of reflection for me and for all of us. Several programs (Rabbi’s Talk and Zoneg) this year made me realize that one of the dimensions of our synagogue that has evolved significantly during the...
The Torah portion for this week (June 6-12, 2021) tells the story of the unwarranted and costly attack on Moses and the leadership of the Exodus led by the unscrupulous rebel leader Korach after whom the parasha (Numbers 16) is named. It represented the most serious and bloody attempt to...
