It’s almost that time- Purim is just around the corner! We hope that you will join us for all of our festivities- Wed. February 28th, 4:15-5:00pm is our Purim carnival for ages 0-5, followed by our silly and fun filled Megillah reading for our religious school families at 5:00pm. The fun will continue for children Continue Reading »
If not now, when? Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once famously said: The more deeply immersed I became in the thinking of the prophets, the more powerfully it became clear to me what the lives of the prophets sought to convey; that morally speaking there is no limit to the concern one must feel Continue Reading »
Before this morning’s message, I wanted to share with you an exciting opportunity that we have on this coming Shabbat. Join us on Saturday morning, Feb. 17th as we hear from Mikey Weiss, the son of our members Monica and Lester Weiss- who is currently home on leave from his service in the IDF. Mikey Continue Reading »
L’Dor Va’Dor– from generation to generation. Taken from our weekday liturgy, the full phrase from which these words are taken proclaims that “From generation to generation we will declare God’s greatness…” passing on our Jewish beliefs, values, and practices to those who will follow us. Indeed at Congregation Torat El, this is one of our Continue Reading »
On Offering Criticism One thing that I know as a Synagogue Rabbi is that in most synagogues, members aren’t afraid to be critical from time to time. According to our tradition, this is not necessarily a bad thing as long as the criticism is constructive, thoughtful and compassionate. Indeed, in this week’s Torah portion, Continue Reading »
Sharing Sacred Space Last week I was had one of those accidentally profound and sacred moments that happen in the life of a synagogue rabbi. It was a Wednesday night and I had just finished teaching some of our Hebrew High students. As happens often, we finished in time to head into our evening service Continue Reading »
Over these past few days I have been thinking a lot about the power of words. In very different ways- both the headlines of the past week, and commemoration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have called to mind the way that language can be used as either a positive Continue Reading »
On January 14th, 1963, nearly fifty five years ago, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel delivered a speech in Chicago on Religion and Race that would forever influence the relationship between the Jewish and African American communities in this country. It was at this conference where Rabbi Heschel first met Dr. King and the two began to Continue Reading »
Lessons From Shifra and Puah Have you ever heard of Shifra and Puah? These two Hebrew midwives are the first example of civil disobedience in the Torah. These are the brave women who stood up to the Egyptian Pharaoh (an act that most certainly risked their lives) and defied his direct orders to kill all Continue Reading »
The Blessings and Responsibilities of Jewish Grandparents Some of my earliest Jewish memories involve my grandparents. Whether it was a Shabbat meal at my maternal grandmother’s apartment that I can still picture somewhat clearly in my mind from the age of three or four, or the yiddish expressions from my paternal grandmother which I Continue Reading »