Passover (Pesach) celebrates our ancestors' freedom from slavery. How can we celebrate being free while 130+ Jews are held hostage in Gaza? I've received this question in various forms over the last few days. This year is different from all other years because, this year, we commemorate Pesach with the knowledge that we are not all free. Just as Pharaoh sought the annihilation of our people, so too do evil rulers seek our demise today. However, like our ancestors, we will prevail over our enemies. We will celebrate together again in full joy.   This year, we marked Chanukah, Tu b'Shvat, and Purim with mixed emotions. We celebrated the significance of these days and held the pain of the hostages and their families in our hearts and minds.  We will do the same for Pesach. The irony is not lost on any of us that we will mark the day our ancestors gained their freedom while 130+ Jews are not free. The Pesach seder is the right time to talk about this conflicted day. When you eat the Hillel … [Read more...]

We open the door for Elijah too late in our Passover Seder. According to the Haggadah, we invite the Prophet Elijah into our homes after the meal is over. This is too late! By the end of the seder meal, we've told the story of our exodus from Egypt, and all Elijah gets to enjoy is his cup of wine. The Prophet Elijah represents all who have been cast out, and we open the doors of our homes as a symbol that we would welcome anyone. The problem is that the food has been cleared, and the story is nearly over when we welcome newcomers inside.   Don't wait until it's too late to invite others to your seder.   I know that to invite others into your home for Seder can seem daunting. That's why we created a service at TE to connect congregants with other members looking to host or be hosted. We want to be your matchmaker and connect hosts with guests and guests with hosts.  If you want to host others or be hosted for seder, fill out your seder "profile" below so we can match you with others in … [Read more...]

Everything can be a grogger if you believe hard enough. Zohara's Jewish education at The MJCCA Schiff School and the Diamond Family Religious School taught me this lesson. Perhaps the first lesson we learn for the holiday of Purim is how to properly "boo" the bad guy, Haman. We could shout, whoop, and holler, but why expend all that energy when you can put some coins in a tin can and shake it all around the house? Like the shofar of the High Holy Days, the grogger wakes us up from the slumber of winter.   Next weekend, we will celebrate Purim all weekend with our Temple Emanu-El family of all ages. Friday night, we have our DFRS/Davis Academy Shabbat service, Tot Shabbats throughout the day, our megillah reading with Dad's Garage Improv comedy troupe on Saturday night, and Sunday is the famous Purim Carnival with a Cause. There will be noise throughout the weekend that reminds us of the joy in the month of Adar-the sounds of laughter, children at play, and, of course, the grogger!  I … [Read more...]

Like many of you, I bought an Israeli-styled dog tag to show my support for Israel. On one side is the emblem of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) with the words "Am Yisrael Chai," Long live the people of Israel. On the other side is the emblem of the Nova music festival and the phrase, "We will dance again." For those unfamiliar, the Nova Music Festival was a dance party at Kibbutz Re'im in the desert for young Israelis. The now famous phrase, "We will dance again," comes from the released hostage Mia Schem, who was captured at the Nova Festival by Hamas. Mia's words resonate with me. We will dance again because we will not give in to intimidation and violence; rather, we will respond to hatred by living life to the fullest. In the last 146 days, we have celebrated (yes, celebrated) several Jewish holidays. Our joy has not been wholehearted, but we will not cease the pride in being Jewish because others hate us for it. Just like the days of mourning in our calendar, which recall the … [Read more...]

This weekend begins the Jewish month of Adar, a time of unparalleled joy in the Jewish year. In a few weeks, we will celebrate Purim, and not long afterward, we will mark our exodus from Egypt with the holiday of Pesach. Amid war, sadness, and despair, commemorating joyful holidays may seem at odds with the ethos of the last four months. However, this is far from the first time we have celebrated simchas while also holding sorrow. Disasters mar Jewish history, but throughout our generations, we have combined joy and "oy." Through the writings of our sages, we have a path to reconcile these two opposite emotions.  In the 16th century, Rabbi Joseph Karo of Tzfat compiled the most widely accepted code of Jewish law called the Shulchan Aruch (in English, the Set Table). Karo's code of law touched upon every area of life, including personal and communal practices when mourning coincides with holidays. The Shulchan Aruch states that all the elements of mourning continue throughout Chanukah … [Read more...]