Dear Friends, I think you would agree with me that this year we have all experienced a measure of “isolation,” of social distancing hoisted upon us not of our own choosing, and pain of all sorts. Our lives have been filled with “messiness.” We may feel tired, frustrated, or confused. We are searching for a Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, This week, we are moving through Holocaust Remembrance Day even as we read the Torah Portion of Shemini. This Shabbat, in addition to our usual prayers, we will recite the prayer for the new Jewish month of Iyyar. Rosh Chodesh Iyyar will be on Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday of this coming week. Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, This Shabbat we will have a virtual Friday night service followed by a virtual Shabbat morning service on Saturday morning. During our virtual Saturday morning service, we will recite the Yizkor prayer. But, we will also read the traditional Torah reading for the Seventh Day of Passover, including the Song of the Sea. Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, We approach Passover this year with the understanding that not all is well in the world around us. It has been a truly difficult year. This is the second Passover that we are experiencing under the shadow of the pandemic. Yes, the shadow is lifting. But, it is still with us. And now, Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, We are used to having to fill in the blank on so many forms that we use both online and offline. The forms exist. They are prepared for us. All we have to do is fill in the blanks. “Filling in the blanks” is often a thoughtless process – one that we do Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, I hope you will join us this Friday night as we celebrate Shabbat and the bat mitzvah of Gabby Gipson! Mazal Tov to Gabby and to her entire family! This Shabbat is the 3rd special Shabbat preceding Passover! It is called “Shabbat Parah” [The Red Heifer Shabbat] because, in a special Maftir Torah Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, There were over 60 Zoom windows for our online Purim celebration on Thursday night! Yasher koach to this wonderful congregation and to all the volunteers who helped make this Purim extra special!!!! While we are still in the Purim spirit, I note how wonderful this congregation really is by comparing our “showing up” Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, It’s the Shabbat before Purim! I hope you join us for our online Megillah reading this coming Thursday evening and join in the fun! There will be costumes, a Purim Shpiel and, of course, the reading of the Megillah! Thanks to all the volunteers who are working so hard to make all of Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, All of the laws of Mishpatim support the Torah’s central idea that we are encouraged to strive for holiness through our human interactions with one another, as well as through our human actions as they relate to our connection to God. Human interactions are intended to raise us up beyond the realm of Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, One might wonder: Why is our Torah portion, Yitro, named after a non-Jew? Yitro, Moses’ father-in-law, was a Midianite priest. Yet, our Sages named this entire Torah portion – which contains the story of the momentous event of our people receiving of the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai – after Yitro, the Midianite Continue Reading »
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