We’ve been singing the verse, Achat sha’alti from psalm 27 since the beginning of Elul, a full month before Rosh Hashanah, and it will remain with us through Simchat Torah at the end of Sukkot. But what...
Can we, Congregation Agudath Achim—this Family of Friends (or the people of Israel as a whole, for that matter), function and flourish together as a single community, not despite our differences, but precisely...
Our Jewish tradition invites us to linger over the transition of the New Year. We blow the shofar for an entire month before Rosh Hashanah, as we are encouraged to engage in "cheshbon hanefesh" – literally,...
Engaging in acts of kindness and mutual aid can be its own path to strengthening the bonds of community, whether we are benefactors or recipients. When one member of the community makes a meal for another...
Dear Family of Friends, It's hard to believe, but I've been part of this community for a full year. During the first service I led at Congregation Agudath Achim in March 2024, I had an experience that...
Mystical wisdom is famous for being elusive and hard to grasp, but in our weekly Kabbalah class we have found the ideas to be deeply resonant to our modern lives. In this column, I share a brief introduction...
“In every generation,” we say on Passover, “we must see ourselves as if we, personally, left Egypt.” The traditional Haggadah goes on to clarify that this is because “had the Holy One of Blessing not liberated...
“When Adar begins, we multiply our joys.” — Talmud, Tractate Ta’anit 29a Dear Family of Friends, Jewish commandments are generally about actions, not feelings. For instance: we consider giving to the...
Dear Family of Friends, There is a beautiful passage in the traditional morning liturgy, one of several in which we imagine ourselves singing with the choir of ministering angels who forever intone “holy,...
Dear Family of Friends, In last month’s column, I introduced you to two rabbis from the Talmud: the literal-minded Shammai, who lit his Hanukkah menorah with eight candles on the first night, removing...
