June 14, 2024 For the past 54 years, starting with the year following the Stonewall Riots, June has been “Pride Month,” “…[A]n annual celebration of the many contributions made by the LGBTQ+ community to history, society and cultures worldwide.” (https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/pride-month) Keshet is a Boston-born organization dedicated to LGBTQ equality in Jewish life. A few years ago, Keshet’s founder …
June 7, 2024 This week’s Shabbat Message is based on my remarks from the TOS Annual Meeting on June 5, 2024 In just five days, we will, according to the Jewish calendar, complete our journey from liberation (Passover) to the receiving of Torah (Shavuot). During this time, we count the Omer, and, it is no …
May 31, 2024 Today is Day 38 of the Omer (the period between Passover and Shavuot; between redemption and revelation). We count 49 days as we prepare to celebrate the revelation of Torah, by engaging in Torah – in Jewish wisdom – in the broadest sense. I believe that it is our obligation to cultivate open-mindedness and …
May 24, 2024 In one way or another, everyone in this room has been a special part of our Trust Center for Early Education (TCEE) journey and knows that TCEE is more than just a school. It’s a community, a family, and a place where our children have taken their first steps toward a bright …
May 17, 2024 In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Emor, in the middle of the book of Leviticus, along with the laws of Passover observance and counting the Omer, and rules around priestly behavior, the Israelites are given the law of pe’ah, which lays the foundation for the sacred obligation of giving tzedakah. When the …
May 10, 2024 You have probably heard the saying, “Two Jews…three opinions.” Jewish tradition is rooted in debate, dialogue, questioning, wrestling – ideally, all in the service of reaching greater truth, of learning from one another. “Who is wise?” an ancient mishna (rabbinic teaching) asks, and answers: “One who learns from every person.”(Pirke Avot 4:1). One …
May 7, 2024 What makes for a strong Jewish identity? Some hold that connection to community is required; others say familiarity with sacred texts and the Jewish calendar is necessary, and for others, a taste for dark humor and smoked fish are prerequisites… However, according to lifelong Jewish educator, Avraham Infeld, “being Jewish is like having a …
April 26, 2024 Did you notice the bright, beautiful full moon that accompanied us on the nights of the seder? Passover is one of three pilgrimage festivals – chagim, in Hebrew (this is why we say “Chag Sameach!” to greet one another on these holidays), along with Sukkot and Shavuot, all of which fall in …
April 19, 2024 One of my favorite things about the Passover seder is that it’s a ritual punctuated by, if not totally centered around, singing songs. We open our seder by singing through its order, “Kadesh, Urchatz…”, and sing blessings like the Kiddush and motzi, as we would during Shabbat and other holidays. We sing the …
