AS JEWS BEGAN reading the book of Exodus last week, we started the story of the Hebrews’ suffering under the Egyptian pharaoh and eventual escape… Continue reading
“The menorah reminds us of the miracle that no matter how dark life may be, there remains a source of light deep inside us. The… Continue reading
“When religion turns men into murderers, God weeps” (“Not in Gods Name,” Rabbi Jonathan Sacks). AS DETAILS EMERGED about the attack on Israel by Hamas… Continue reading
AS THE DAYS shorten, and the nights become cooler, we wish we could hang on to the warmth of summer just a little longer. It’s… Continue reading
“Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24). WITH COURT CASES occurring in multiple states and districts in the… Continue reading
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but hard words stir up anger”
(Proverbs 15:1). “Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the… Continue reading
therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19). AS SUMMER BEGINS, we feel a renewed sense… Continue reading
WHEN ENTERING A Jewish synagogue, one’s eyes are drawn to the front of the sanctuary where the Aron Kodesh, the Holy Ark, stands. Behind the… Continue reading
“In the world of the spirit, the opposite of love is not hate but rather it is fear” (“Omer: A Counting” Rabbi Karyn Kedar). SEEING… Continue reading
AS SPRING ARRIVES, we revel in the warmth, longer days, frogs croaking, birds singing in the early morning and new life emerging. During the dark,… Continue reading
SINCE THE FIRST century, when Jews were executed for converting others, Judaism has not been a religion interested in seeking converts. Although we know many… Continue reading
A FEW WEEKS ago, the world recognized International Holocaust Remembrance Day, reminding us of what can happen when a group is targeted as undesirable, and… Continue reading
PROVERBS 4:13 TEACHES “Hold fast to mussar and do not let it go.” The Jewish study of mussar is the spiritual practice of balancing ethical… Continue reading
Jewish tradition teaches us that our world stands on three things: on the Torah, on worship and on acts of kindness. The Hebrew word for… Continue reading
DURING A YOM Kippur service this year, the rabbi of a large synagogue asked his congregation how many have thought about leaving the country. Sadly,… Continue reading
JEWS HAVE JUST gone through a drastic transition from one of the most solemn holidays in our year, Yom Kippur, to Sukkot, one of the… Continue reading
