April 1st, 2016/22 Adar II 5776  Shemini Purim marks chaos. Everything is upside down: from the costumes; to the three cornered cookies; to Esther’s strange role; to the strategies for addressing threat; to the noise makers (graggors in Yiddish or Ra’ashanim in Hebrew) for blotting out the name of Haman (Evil). But as we move toward the Passover Seder […]

Oy, is it nice to have Purim! March 18th, 2016/8 Adar II 5776 Like so many other texts of our tradition, the Purim tale is one of survival and victory over oppression. We have our heros, Mordechai and Esther (and some would argue Vashti), who through creativity and strength manage to save their people and […]

March 4, 2016 Next week we celebrate International Women’s Day, a day which acknowledges the role that women have played in our society and recognizes the need for continued growth and change as we create a more just and equal world. In our community, this can be a time to reflect not only on women’s […]

12 lutego 2016/3 adar I 5776 WITH PARASHAT T’RUMAH WE ENTER INTO THE MISHKAN (TABERNACLE), THE PORTABLE TEMPLE THAT STOOD AS THE HEART OF THE ISRAELITE CAMP DURING THE YEARS OF WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS. IT ALSO SERVED THE ISRAELITES AS A TEMPORARY TEMPLE IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL UNTIL KING SOLOMON BUILT THE BEIT HA-MIKDASH […]

February 19th, 2016/10 Adar I 5776 As I have explored synagogues around the world, it has been fascinating to observe the different customs of how people dress for services. In some communities, it is common for worshipers to attend Shabbat services in jeans, and in others, a suit or dress is the most appropriate and respectable […]

February 5, 2016/26 szwat 5776  This week, a new chapter of the story of the Jewish people begins. We have made our way from the family stories of Genesis, to Moses and the escape from Egypt. The Jewish people begin their years of wandering through the desert, they have crossed the Sea of Reeds, and they […]