Religious Education
One of my closest friends, Sam, is 5-years-old. On most weekdays at about 3 o’clock, he comes into my office, puts his Spiderman backpack and lunchbox on the floor, takes a seat, and begins our conversation. “Rabbi PJs, let me tell you about my day.” Sometimes, Sam brings his favorite toys for us to play with, tells me about something he learned that day, or whether he liked the story I read during our preschool Shabbat. Recently, he invited me to his birthday party, and I’ve had Shabbat dinner at his home. He’s been to my house for dinner as well. Although I know some might argue... Read More
Back in the day, 13-year-old Jewish boys and girls became adults. Their parents were invited to recite the blessing: Baruch shep’tarnu mei-ha-onsho shel zeh, blessed is the One who has freed us from the responsibility for this child. Parents marked the moment that they were no longer responsible for the (potentially sinful) actions of their adult children. Today, anyone paying attention knows that the journey into adulthood unfolds for many young people well into their late twenties. In fact, as rabbis of Congregation Or Ami (Calabasas, CA), we have edited more... Read More
Why would anyone want to go through the work of becoming a bat mitzvah at age 75? What follows is my answer, how it relates to the Torah portion Mishpatim, and lessons about social justice. I was fortunate (or as they say in the South, “blessed”) to have grown up in a family of Jews whose lives were focused on social justice. For my parents and me, the ethical and moral precepts of Judaism were the pillars upon which we based our lives, how we treated others, and what was most important in life. Early on, I became involved and committed to tikkun olam, repair of our broken world. Not... Read More
Makom shelibi oheyv – sham raglai molikhot otee, a passage from the Mishnah, can be translated as, “The place that my heart holds dear, there my feet will bring me near.” It’s a beloved text at Woodlands Community Temple near White Plains, NY, where a powerful feeling persists. You may recognize it from your own synagogue, a place that’s so warm, welcoming, and loving, you find yourself drawn there. It’s a place you simply want to be. Sometimes, however, you receive more than you could ever have imagined. Let me tell you a story, from my makom (place) to your makom. On a recent Shabbat... Read More
When H. Alan Scott looked up through the mikveh (ritual bath) waters, he says he saw the shadows of his past and present lives undulating above him: Poor Mormon kid. Gay man. Comedian. Cancer survivor. Then his head broke the surface for the third time, and he felt that at last he had emerged with an identity that fit perfectly: Jew. That was five years ago. Now Scott, 35, is celebrating another milestone: This month he’s throwing himself a bar mitzvah. If you think the story of a gay, former Mormon cancer survivor trying to find his place as a Jew sounds like the stuff of a movie... Read More
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