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...
Dear family of friends, Hanukkah doesn’t begin this year until the end of December, but the season of darkness is already upon us, and we find ourselves in need of kindling lights. In this time of year...
Dear Family of Friends, I have heard from many people that these past High Holiday services were a particularly beautiful experience for them, and I must say that they were deep and moving for me as well....
Dear Family of friends, As the the long-anticipated High Holidays finally arrive, I’d like to share with you a parable attribute to the 19th century Hasidic rabbi Hayyim of Zans: A man had been wandering...
This year there is almost an entire month between Labor Day and Rosh Hashanah. This gives us time to prepare. Not just time to send our Shanah Tova cards, or plan our holiday menus, but to prepare ourselves...
