Wednesday, March 20, 2019
י״ג אדר-ב תשע״ט
Shalom,
Rochester Response to Massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand
With memories of last November’s massacre at Congregation Tree of Life, in Pittsburgh, still […]
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One mitzvah will bring another mitzvah
As we approach the High Holy Days, I have been humming a song that I learned at Jewish summer camp. The text of the song is from Pirke Avot, Ethics […]
8 Questions & Answers for A Meaningful Hanukkah
Question: What historical event does Hanukkah commemorate?
The Hellenized Syrians, ruled by the Seleucid King, Antiochus IV Epiphanes wanted the Jews to give up their way of life – to […]
Continuing to Blossom this Summer
We have all seen both new and familiar faces on the bimah over the past few months. Just as we celebrate the hiring of a vibrant young Hazzan from Buenos […]
Celebrating the Gift of Torah – With Questions and More Questions
Years ago, Isidore Rabi, winner of a Nobel Prize for physics, was asked why he became a scientist. He replied: “My mother made me a scientist without ever knowing it. […]
Passover Thoughts to Accompany You Throughout the Year
One of the best things about being a rabbi is reading the diverse and wonderful insights from our ancient, medieval, and modern scholars. I happily share one of the best […]
Placing God and Humanity Before us Always
This month, as we emerge from winter into spring, we complete our reading of the second book of the Torah, in which our common ancestry coalesces as a people and […]
In The Presence of Angels
Many years ago, I read the book, The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet’s Rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India by the poet Roger Kamenetz. The book chronicles a […]
Spirituality of Being Human
The Spirituality of Being Human
Many years ago, in Chicago, Arthur and I went to a learning session with Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, whose most recent accomplishment was translating the Babylonian […]
Vows worth Making (Rabbi’s Kol Nidre Sermon)
Kol Nidrei Sermon – 5772
Vows Worth Making
Kol nidrei. How has this haunting, evocative prayer come to define what we do here tonight? It isn’t poetry — or prose. […]