Rabbi Jonathan E. Blake

Rabbi Jonathan Blake

Rabbi Jonathan Blake (he/his/him) is the senior rabbi of Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, New York.

Sukkot and the Spirituality of Sustainability

Rabbi Jonathan E. Blake
Ten years ago, Ron Schulhof and Michelle Sterling, two congregants who were serving as volunteers on our village's sustainability board, approached me with an intriguing proposal: make WRT the first local house of worship to go zero-waste.

Adding Life to Years

Chayei Sarah begins with the recording of Sarah’s death. But the fullness of Sarah’s and Abraham’s years and accomplishments leads us to appreciate the varied possibilities of living with purpose and dignitiy in old age.

The Spirituality of the Wilderness

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Jonathan E. Blake

"On the first day of the second month, in the second year following the exodus from the land of Egypt, the Eternal One spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting . . ." (Numbers 1:1). The wilderness experience constitutes more than half of the

Worrying about More Than Ourselves

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Jonathan E. Blake

As we read Genesis, we find it refreshing to encounter the so-called heroes and heroines of the narrative struggling with their own characteristically human feelings, failings, and frailties. In this regard the character of Jacob is especially rich. We watch him evolve from the conniving youth who would deprive his

The Simple Art of Thanksgiving

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Jonathan E. Blake

As a rabbinical student in Israel I camped out with my classmates under a star-glutted Negev sky to see Comet Hyakutake burn its trail through the night. It was a Shehecheyanu moment, and we offered the blessing with wide eyes. I imagine that some wilderness wanderer may have felt the