Rabbi's Message

As B’nai Yisrael arrive at Mt. Sinai, God summarizes the three months from the Exodus to that moment with a remarkable phrase:

 “You have seen…how I bore you on Eagles’ wings and brought you to me.”  (Exodus 19:4)  

Perhaps it seemed that way to God, but I’m not sure the Israelites experienced it quite the same way.  For them, it was the whole period of the plagues, anxiety as Pharaoh’s army...Read more...

In a world with so much uncertainty, it is important to have things that root us.  Family, friends, community, traditions – all of these things can help serve that purpose.  Something else that helps us to root us is our calendar, which in Judaism sets the rhythm of the year and reminds us of our story and values.  This Shabbat is Shabbat HaHodesh.  We will take a second Torah from the ark and read Exodus 12, which...Read more...

Tonight begins our celebration of Purim.  I hope that you will join us at 7pm for our first installment of Purim Madness, which will include Megillah reading, song parodies, costume contests with fabulous prizes, and food and fun.  And then on Sunday morning, we will continue our celebration with our Family Megillah reading followed by our Purim Extravaganza!  See below for details.  On Purim we celebrate Mordehai and...Read more...

Tonight begins the Hebrew month of Adar, about which the Talmud says Mi Shenikhas Adar Marbin B’Simha, when the month of Adar begins, our joy increases.  Our tradition attributes this to the Purim holiday, which we will celebrate in a couple of weeks.  We know joy and happiness are not emotions we can automatically feel simply because we turn a page on a calendar.  Especially in a time when our hearts are heavy from another...Read more...

Today is Tu B'shevat, the new year for the trees.  We celebrate it by eating fruits, especially the seven species of Israel, as well as taking time to reflect on and recommit ourselves to environmental concerns.  Some also mark this holiday with a Tu...Read more...

I just returned from a week in Israel, where I got a deeper appreciation for the emotional roller coaster that the whole society is on. One moment, there is the joy of seeing hostages released, and then the sense of sorrow and pain from the release of murders, the loss of soldiers, and the general heaviness of the toll all of this has taken on Israelis. I felt this most acutely last Shabbat, where the shul I was at interrupted services to...Read more...

At the beginning of this week’s Torah portion,Vaera, Moses announces to the Israelites that God has appeared to him and that they will be redeemed by the mighty hand of  God and be brought to the land promised to their ancestors. Yet, after Moses’ impassioned speech, the Torah says “v’lo shamu el Moshe mikotzer ruah u’mei avodah kasha-- “They could not hear/listen to Moses on account of kotzer ruah and difficult...Read more...

Today, our hearts are not only in the East with our brothers and sisters in Israel, but they are also in the West as a number of devastating wildfires continue to ravage California.  We thank God for the brave work of first responders and firefighters, and we are grateful for the safety of the evacuees. Yet, we know that the loss of homes and communities has been immense, including the burning down of the Conservative synagogue, the...Read more...

Jewish tradition relates that when the Maccabees entered the damaged and desecrated Temple in Jerusalem around 165 BCE, they looked to see if any oil remained sealed by the high priest with which they could light the Temple Menorah. They found one cruse of oil that was enough for one day. But, miraculously, the small amount of oil burned for eight days, which was long enough for the priest to prepare more and keep the light...Read more...

I am writing this from Israel, where I am attending a Rabbinical Assembly conference. Coincidentally, the name “Israel” appears for the first time in this week’s Torah portion. You will surely remember the story.
Jacob is returning to Canaan 20 years after fleeing from his brother Esau. Afraid that the encounter may be violent, he divides his family and flocks into three groups so that at least some might escape if the others are...Read more...

What does it mean to have everything?  Is it about possessions?  Status?  Power?  Today it can feel like everyone wants everything.  There is little will to compromise in our politics, ideologies, and beliefs, along with a troubling unwillingness to look beyond parochial interests to work for the common good.  In this environment, perfect becomes the enemy of the good.  We become gridlocked and pulled apart....Read more...

As we continue to process the results of the election, I want to acknowledge the emotions that we are all feeling after months of divisive campaigning and these nerve-racking last few days.  We knew that the election results would disappoint some and satisfy others.  As Rabbi David Wolpe remarked after the election, “Resilience is the quality required when the world does not go as you wish, and graciousness the quality required...Read more...

Moadim L’simha! I hope you have enjoyed time with loved ones in the sukkah over the past week.  How incredible has the weather been?! As we conclude Sukkot, we will arrive at the end of our holiday season, which concludes with Shemini Atzeret (which begins tonight) and Simhat Torah (tomorrow night). This is traditionally a time of great joy and celebration, marking the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle and the immediate...Read more...

The full moon is out, which means we are halfway through the month of Elul.  As we approach the end of the year, I keep thinking about a phrase from the Talmud.  In a discussion about the reading of the curses, known as the tokheha, in this week’s parashah, Ki Tavo, the Talmud says that the Torah reading schedule was set so that this portion is always read before Rosh Hashanah.  The reason:  k’day she’tikhleh shanah...Read more...

It has been difficult to find the words this week.  The news that reached us after Shabbat, that the remains of six hostages had been found, and the subsequent identification of them as Carmel Gat z"l, Ori Danino z"l, Eden Yerushalmi z"l, Alex Lobanov z"l, Almog Sarusi z"l, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin z’’l was heartbreaking.  Learning that they were executed by Hamas 2-3 days prior to being found made it even more devasting....Read more...