Rabbi’s Corner

Judaism gave Western civilization many things, but one of the most important is that it laid down the foundation of Law. The Ten Commandments and many other elements of Hebrew law provided a major source for the development of Western legal systems and democracy.

Three thousand years ago, the ancient Hebrews developed the idea of monotheism, the belief in one G-d. They believed that G-d gave them laws to regulate their society, their religious practices, and their relationships with other people. (more…)

A man called me and said that he was going to have an operation. He said that it was preventative; the doctors told him that he was ok for now, but that at any moment, he could be on the floor in an emergency and then it might be too late to do anything. I understood what he was saying. The operation was a big deal, and he would have a lot of pain and need a long time to recover fully. (more…)

Rabbi’s Message

The stories in the Book of Genesis about the Patriarchs and Matriarchs and their children often present their actions in a questionable or even objectionable light. We see that they are not always exemplars of great spiritual or moral stature (more…)

In the last year, we’ve spent a lot of time and energy on building relationships in the community. At times, it was the most difficult thing we ever did. It’s hard to be disliked for who you are. It’s hard to be dismissed for your beliefs.

But we kept going, and we stayed in those rooms, and now some of the people who were most dismissive sit at the table ready to talk about the meaning of community in a new way. (more…)

On the High Holidays, I talked about what your Jewishness 2.0 for you might look like. I presented a very specific challenge, that I’d like to repeat and emphasize here. (more…)

Once, a pilgrim set out on a long journey in search of peace, joy and love. The pilgrim
walked for many weary miles and time passed. Gradually, his young, lively steps
became slower and more labored. The pilgrim’s journey passed through landscapes
that were not always happy ones. (more…)

(Note: At a recent service honoring our dear friend Toby Gillman’s special birthday, I thought it would be appropriate to explain a phrase that is meaningful in our lives)

Have you ever heard this expression, “He’s the spittin’ image of his dad”? What in the world could this mean? That he spits at the image of his father? Most of us have great and loyal kids who would never hurt or insult their parents.

So what does it mean? “Spittin image” is a blurring together of a much better phrase, “Spirit and image”.. Many of us have looked in the mirror and seen the image of one of our parents and we hope we carry on their spirits. This makes much more sense. Language can work this way.

So I’d like to give you another example, and you are very lucky, because no one in history has ever heard what I’m going to explain to you. (more…)

Sadie Goldstein had just moved into her big, new apartment. She wanted the world to know, and the first person she called to visit was her old friend Esther.
“Mazel tov!” said Esther, “I would love to come for tea. Where do you live?”
“I live,” Sadie said, “in a beauty of a building, 993 Park Avenue. It has a gorgeous front door, so when you arrive, give it a good push with your right elbow, and as you walk in, use your left elbow to close the door behind you. Once you are inside, you will see the list of names with the buzzers; take your left elbow and ring my apartment so I can buzz you in, and then use your right elbow to press down on the handle to get into the lobby. (more…)

“Do not urge me to leave you.
Wherever you go, I will go;
wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
your God, my God.”

This is one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible, or anywhere. It is said by Ruth to Naomi, her mother-in-law. The heartbreaking situation is that Ruth’s husband, Naomi’s son, died, as did Naomi’s husband and her other son. Naomi is a Jewish woman who had lived in the foreign land of Moab with her family, but now half the family has passed away, and Naomi is going to return to her home in Israel. She tells Ruth to stay in Moab, her home, and marry a nice Moabite guy. Ruth has every right to do this. None of us would begrudge Ruth if she walks away. (more…)

40 Years in the Desserts

First, a happy and gratified thank you, to all who worked so hard on our “40 Years in the Desserts” celebration.
What a great night it was because of all the hard work of Steve Schulefand and his legendary singers and Lauren Piscitille and her hard-working committee. (more…)