Each year we have the opportunity to count the Omer ~ a counting of the span of time ~ seven weeks of seven days + One ~ from the second day of Passover (a holiday of redemption in the words of early rabbinic sages) to Shavuot (a holiday the early rabbis connected with revelation; in diaspora, we no longer brought…
The relationships that I am invited into with my b’nei mitzvah students makes my heart soar. Their curiosity, creativity, different learning styles, and Jewish pride add a layer of deep meaning to my life as an adult, parent, and steward of our North American Jewish future, let alone my role as their rabbi. I am honored to still be in…
November 30, 2021 ~ 27 Kislev 5782 As we enter Chanukah (the Festival of Light), this year, we are barely finished cleaning up from Thanksgiving and many of us will happily pair our latkes (potato pancakes) with leftover cranberry relish. We often remark about Chanukah being “early” (in close proximity to Thanksgiving in the United States) or “late” (in close…
May 28, 2021 “As human beings, we struggle with uncertainty. As Jews, we live it. Torah and Talmud teach us how to sit with uncertainty and how to hold multiple truths. Our wisdom tradition is expansive, not narrow. ” In today’s world of complex and seemingly unproductive conversations, debates, negotiations, and diplomacy at a governmental level, one might desire a return…