‘Wake up, sleepers, from your sleep!
On the last Monday of August, I awoke when it was still dark, fumbling to silence the beeping and buzzing of the alarm going off beside my bed. It was Rosh Chodesh Elul, the final month of the Jewish calendar, and I was rising early because we were holding a special morning minyan at Congregation […]
Remembering the covenant together
I am often reminded at this time of year that our community thrives when it stands together. One of the great privileges of my role as a leader of our Jewish community is the chance to engage with people from across perspectives. I hear gratitude and appreciation, along with anxieties and concerns. The positive feedback […]
The study of history: Liberating ourselves from the past
Acclaimed Israeli professor of history and best-selling author, Yuval Noah Harari, probably most famous for his book, “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” suggested that history is the study of change, and that the real value of learning it is in liberating ourselves from the past. I must add that history is also the study […]
The gift of forgiveness
As we approach the High Holidays, everyone naturally grows more serious and begins working on whatever area they struggle with in their relationship with G-d. For some, this means recommitting to basic Jewish practices – keeping kosher, observing Shabbat, or strengthening other core principles. For others, it’s about repairing and rebuilding through teshuvah – repentance […]
Tears are prayers that need no words
One of the most beautiful readings over the High Holidays spotlights a powerful woman who emphasizes the emotional depth of the human soul. Channah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, is the focus of the haftarah, the additional scriptural reading from the biblical prophets, on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. Channah’s story concentrates on […]
