Over the past few weeks, our Torah readings have been about the children of Israel becoming freed from slavery in Egypt. As Jews, we often say that the Exodus is our “master narrative” because it is from this moment that our nation began to form. It is at this moment in our history that we Continue Reading »
COMMUNITY CELEBRATION M.L.K., JR. CONGREGATIONAL TORAT EL Dr. Warner JANUARY 16, 2013 Dear Dr. King, It’s been well over forty-seven years since I was honored to introduce you to the congregation at the Salem Baptist Church in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. You had just completed your journeys in the mid- west urban centers where rioting and burnings Continue Reading »
Rabbi Aaron Schonbrun Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration January 16, 2013 Friends, colleagues and neighbors, Berukhim Habaim, welcome to our congregation and thank you for taking the time to celebrate with us this evening. As the rabbi of Congregation Torat El, I feel honored that we could host this wonderful celebration and remembrance of Continue Reading »
A few days ago Rabbi Sharon Braus of IKAR in Los Angeles created the following video on You Tube about the power of our words. Here’s the challenge for the week– Try following her advice for the entire week. Seriously try. And next Tuesday, e-mail me to let me know what the experience was like. Continue Reading »
As a congregational Rabbi, I am continually looking for ways to learn more about Judaism. You might think that Rabbis spend a good deal of time each week studying- but the truth is that the multi-faceted and wonderful world of the pulpit can sometimes make it hard to find opportunities to sit down and study Continue Reading »
Please note that with our new religious school schedule, starting next week I will be off on Mondays. My Monday Morning Message will soon become Tuesday morning Torah! This week I read a really nice blog post that made me feel better about being surrounded (at home and in my office) by so many books- Continue Reading »
I know this is a bit long, but please take a few moments to read it: This morning I, like most parents across the country I’m sure, felt a bit different sending my kids off to school this morning. My heart is broken, not only for the families who were directly affected by this unspeakable Continue Reading »
Happy Hanukkah! Thank you, again, to all who made our Hanukkah celebration yesterday a huge success- the sense of community was palpable and the latkes were delicious! Over the weekend I read an interesting op-ed in the NY times, offering an insightful take on the message of Hanukkah that is somewhat different from our uniquely Continue Reading »
Hanukkah is almost here!! Here are a few activities, ideas, and websites as the Festival of Lights approaches: Activities: 1. Please come and join us for our congregational Hanukkah party, this Sunday, December 9th from 10:30-1:30 PM in the social Hall. This event is for people of all ages and is open to the community. Continue Reading »
Good morning! Before this morning’s message, there are two things that I wanted to bring to your attention. 1. As the immediate needs of Hurricane Sandy start to fade, Congregation Torat El, in partnership with a number of other synagogues in our area, is sponsoring a gift card drive to help with the long term Continue Reading »