As you all know, Israel has caved into the ultra-Orthodox parties and has suspended an agreement to create an egalitarian prayerspace at the Western Wall, the Kotel thereby breaking a deal that was four years in the making with the liberal streams of Israeli Jewry. The government asserts that the agreement is 'suspended.' This is [...]
Believe it or not, I am preparing for next year’s Days of Awe. As you know, we are getting a new prayerbook for the holidays and the services will be even more meaningful. As the cantor and I are planning what we will do, let me fill you in on some of things we have [...]
For the second time, the people of Temple Beth Miriam have supported me while I mourned the death of a parent. Your presence at minyan and in our home throughout the week brought comfort and warmth to my family and I thank you from the innermost part of my being. Your cards, calls, emails, [...]
As we begin the Torah anew with the book of Genesis inevitable questions arise. With all of the tzoris and misery in the world the most fundamental question is, 'Why did God create the world in the first place?' Remember, this is not a scientific question but a reflective one. The Talmud answers this question [...]
One of the 'impossible to teach moments' for any rabbinic student is what to say to a parent or a kid who has the Torah portion for this week. It is filled with all sorts of gross stuff. It is heavily into the 'ewwwwww' factor. Let's see we start off with a woman who is [...]
There is a beautiful passage in this week’s Torah portion that reads like this: וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־עַצְמ֥וֹת יוֹסֵ֖ף עִמּ֑וֹ כִּי֩ הַשְׁבֵּ֙עַ הִשְׁבִּ֜יעַ אֶת־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּקֹ֙ד יִפְקֹ֤ד אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְהַעֲלִיתֶ֧ם אֶת־עַצְמֹתַ֛י מִזֶּ֖ה אִתְּכֶֽם׃ " And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph, who had exacted an oath from the children of Israel, saying, "God will [...]
Every novel has a climax. In what can only be called the first Jewish novel, the story of Jacob and Joseph comes to its climax in this week’s portion. Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, freed by Pharoah, elevated to a position of power because of his ability to interpret dreams and now a [...]
When the Greek Seleucids prohibited the practice of Judaism in the Land of Israel it was one of the many turning points for the Jewish people. It was also the first time that such a proclamation gave rise to a rebellion, what we call the Maccabean Revolt led by Judah Maccabee, his brothers and the [...]
The Torah portion this week is called ‘Vayishlach’ and contains within it the well-known story of Jacob wrestling with the ‘ish’ – the ‘man’ – which the Torah does not identify. Was it Esau, his brother from whom Jacob had been estranged for some 20 years? Was it Jacob’s conscience which bothered him since taking [...]
The Torah portion this week is filled with all sorts of stories. In fact, here are all the stories in this parasha: Jacob dreams of angels going up and down a ladder. God blesses him. Jacob names the place Bethel. (28:10-22) Jacob works seven years in order to marry Rachel, but Laban tricks Jacob into [...]