12 Elul 5781
August 20, 2021 “When you build a new house, then you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you should not bring any blood upon your house, if any…
5 Elul 5781
August 13, 2021 Why would the Torah have a whole section dealing with the appointment of judges? For a society to be functional and cohesive, it needs rules and laws.…
Elul Jewels 5781 Leading to 5782
Today is the first day (of two days) of Rosh Chodesh Elul, (which actually falls on the last day of the month of Av). Elul is called chodesh hacheshbon, “a month of accounting,”…
28 Av 5781
August 6, 2021 It seems to me that we’re coming to terms with the “new normal.” When schools, synagogues, and businesses first closed, we thought we were just doing deep…
21 Av 5781
July 30, 2021 Shalom from URJ Camp Harlam in beautiful Kunkletown, Pennsylvania! I have been involved in some form of Jewish summer camp for almost 40 years; as a camper…
29 Tammuz 5781
July 9, 2021 Are we there yet? Almost. Forty years have passed since we have left Egypt. The Children of Israel are at the entrance of the Promised Land. This…
22 Tammuz 5781
July 2, 2021 We recently celebrated Father’s Day and, next week, we will say the special blessing for the coming month of Av, which means, “Father”. So, is it just…
15 Tammuz 5781
June 25, 2021 This week’s Torah portion, Balak (Numbers 22:2-25:9), presents us with a fantastical story of the talking donkey. Our relationship with animals is strong, but for some, not…
8 Tammuz 5781
June 18, 2021 I officiated at a wedding about three and a half years ago. Okay, it was actually only about fifteen months ago; but with the Corona Virus, it…
1 Tammuz 5781
June 11, 2021 After weathering the challenge mounted by Korach in this week’s Torah named after him, Korach (Numbers 16:1-18:32), the tribe of Levi assumes its proper status as the…
24 Sivan 5781
June 4, 2021 The story of the spies in this week’s Torah portion, Shelach-L’cha (Numbers 13:1-15:41), ends in a 40-year march through the Wilderness so that the generation of the…
17 Sivan 5781
May 28, 2021 2021 has been a heck of a year so far and we are feeling more and more hopeful as people get vaccinated. At the same time, we…