Rabbi Shabbat Greetings

The double Torah portion this week, Chukat-Balak (Numbers 19:1-25:9) offers us two distinct perspectives through which we may view our present circumstances, as Jews, and as Americans preparing to celebrate our nation’s…

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This portion (Korach – Numbers 16:1-18:32) tells of the famous challenge of Korach and his camp in their confrontation with Moses and Aaron. In the end they are swallowed up…

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Grasshoppers!. Our Torah portion this week, Shelach Lecha (Numbers 13:1-15:41), emphasizes that we saw ourselves as grasshoppers. Moses is commanded to send out twelve scouts to scout out the promised land.…

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I would be willing to bet that most people, when asked what the symbol of the state of Israel is, they would respond “the Magen David – the Star of…

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As shared in last week’s Shabbat Greetings, we repeat our portion, Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89), so that we can stay in sync with the Diaspora reading.  Israel’s weekly Torah portions will…

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Last night and today, we celebrate the festival of Shavuot. We, like many Reform congregations in the Diaspora, follow a Festival calendar that is similar to that of the land…

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This Shabbat, we begin the fourth book of the Torah – Bemidbar (Numbers 1:1-4:20), or Numbers. This book is the metamorphosis of the Children of Israel into a real Nation. …

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This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. Have you heard the one about how many Jewish mothers it takes to change a light bulb? “That’s O.K.,” the Jewish mother says, “I’ll…

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Our portion this week, Emor (Leviticus 21:1-24:23), deals with many commandments, the largest part relates to Jewish laws of the priestly class who served God in the Temple. One of these…

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This week we celebrated Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom Ha`atzma’ut (Independence Day) in Israel. Unlike in America, Memorial day is intrinsically connected to Independence day, one following immediately upon the heels of…

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