TOS Blog

In this week’s Torah portion, Naso, we find the most ancient words of blessing known to us. The Priestly Blessing echoes through millenia (from at least the 7th century BCE). It is incredible to imagine that these words have been said, chanted, or sung for so many generations, in so many Jewish (and Christian) contexts. Parents bestow this blessing upon their children at the start of Shabbat and holy days;...Read more...

Dear TOS Community,

We want to update you on our thoughts and plans in light of Governor Baker’s announcement yesterday which loosened some restrictions on gatherings including at houses of worship.

We, along with leaders of congregations across the Commonwealth, do not believe that it is safe or advisable to resume in person services at this time. In keeping with the central Jewish value of pikuach nefesh - preserving human...Read more...

The verses of the Psalms have been a primary source of lyrics for religious composers throughout history. Since King David is the Bible’s most famous musician, and is said to be the author of most of the Psalms (although modern biblical scholars dispute this), it makes sense to assume that Psalms were originally meant to be sung. Even the Hebrew phrase Mizmor L’David, which is often translated as “A Psalm of David,” can also be...Read more...

April 28, 2020 / 4 Iyar 5780

In the Jewish landscape of time, we experience communal celebration and communal mourning on our sacred days. In this time of living through a global pandemic, we can feel uprooted and disoriented as...Read more...

I was interviewed for the Chagigah radio show on WERS last week, and my segment aired on Sunday. I was able to share a couple of Passover memories and give a shout-out to our community. Enjoy!

The words to Dayeinu (It Would Have Been Sufficient) date back at least to the 9th Century, and may well go back as much as 500 years before that. In a traditional Haggadah, there are fifteen stanzas divided into three groups of five: Leaving Slavery, Miracles, and Being With God. The popular melody to Dayeinu is of unknown origin, although it is safe to say the melody is not nearly as old as the lyrics.

In this recording, I have...Read more...

Dear Friends,

I imagine that for all of us it feels that months, rather than a week, has passed since we entered into this strange and isolating time. Time has certainly taken on a different meaning as our everyday lives have been transformed. Of course, that transformation looks different for each of us: perhaps we are home with children, trying to balance working from home and meeting the needs of the family...Read more...

Dear Friends,

This is a time of great uncertainty and fear. It is also a time of communal celebration, such as the Purim festivities we enjoyed earlier this week, and looking ahead to the joy of Passover, less than a month from now. To be a Jew is to be connected to community both in the present moment and through the...Read more...

Shabbat Shalom.

That is a very Jewish way to greet each other - wishing each other a peaceful Shabbat. I’ve been thinking a lot about how we greet each other over the last couple of days as the spread of COVID-19 has dominated the news and we think about how to keep everyone in our community safe and healthy.  I’ve grown used to not only saying, Shabbat Shalom, but also greeting so many of you with a handshake or a kiss...Read more...

Dear Families,

We are reaching out to you today to give you an update on the precautions that we are using here at Temple Ohabei Shalom to...Read more...

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Dear TOS Community,

We have learned that some people received an erroneous email from someone pretending to be “Rabbi Berkman” yesterday. If you receive an email that looks as though it comes from Rabbi Berkman and asks you to help her by purchasing gift cards, please do not respond. (No gift cards please!) Just delete the email, and ignore it.

Thanks to the many people who contacted Rabbi Berkman or the TOS office about...Read more...

Dear Friends,

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Last night I had the privilege of attending an event with members of our synagogue inclusion committee and the Ruderman Synagogue Inclusion Project. The Ruderman Foundation has supported our inclusion work here at TOS and they've recently expanded their inclusion work to mental...Read more...