What Can We Learn About Elul From the Lone Ranger?
Earlier this week, we marked the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul when it is customary to take stock of our actions and behaviors in an effort to do better in the year to come.
Why we Became a Brit Olam Congregation
When Abraham is chosen by God to bring blessing into the world, we don’t know why. We only learn a remarkable insight into God’s thinking chapters later, when God is musing to Godself about whether to discuss the challenges of society with him.
Why We Became a Brit Olam Congregation
Recently, the board of my congregation unanimously passed the Brit Olam, committing to act powerfully and together to bring upon the world we want.
Parashat Vayikra: Then and Now: Connecting to God and Seeking Forgiveness
Learn about Parashat Vayikra in this guide, written by teens, for teens.
The 30th Annual International Day of Peace
There are a lot of holidays to think about this time of year: Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, International Hobbit Day (no, but really, happy birthday Bilbo and Frodo).
A Suburban Problem With a Summer Camp Solution
My wife Robin and I have a suburban problem. We recently bought our first house, and it features both a formal living room, which I call the living room, and a “family room,” which I also keep referring to as the living room. It gets confusing.
The Symbol of the Sukkah
Seeing Through the Darkness: Inside Charlottesville’s Synagogue One Week Later
May we continue to be inspired by Congregation Beth Israel to turn darkness into light, to turn fear into resolve, to turn xenophobia into acceptance, and to turn hatred into hope.
Can We Sin in Our Hearts and Not with Our Hands?
In Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, the Ten Commandments appear in their most recognizable form. Among the differences between the two occurrences is that Deuteronomy prohibits both coveting and craving, whereas Exodus mentions only coveting.
Meditations on the Poetry of Un’taneh Tokef
Descriptions of God are speculation, imagination, projection, fantasy, philosophical proposition or pure poetry. Some are banal. Some are hate-filled. Some are so sublime they move us to tears. Some lead us to insights about ourselves. Some transport us beyond our parochial perceptions to act on behalf of others. Notions of God represent our greatest hopes or fears about the power that lies far beyond us or both beyond and within us