If we’re being honest, Chanukah never falls late or early, it’s always right on time: The 25th of Kislev. Obviously very few of us look at the Hebrew calendar before we look at our Gregorian calendars each morning. As such, you may have noticed that Chanukah doesn’t begin this year until December 22nd and the chance to celebrate as a synagogue community dramatically decreases, as many in our community (including some clergy!) will be out of town visiting friends or family for the Winter Vacation.  What will we do about wearing our ugly Chanukah sweaters or seeing Rabbi Max, Rabbi Spike, and Cantor Adesnik in their ridiculous Chanukah onesies? How will our Tots rock out at a Tot Shabbat singing about their favorite sufganiyot (donuts)? When will our teens get the chance to have their annual gift exchange and eat Loretta’s famous latkes? It’s not that we will be celebrating Chanukah early; instead, we’re going to recognize that since we most likely won’t get the chance to all be together … [Read more...]

Every Saturday morning at about 8:45 a.m. you will find a group milling about the Colbert Library. Some will chat about services the night before, others about sports, and others about the problems of the world. Some will grab a hot coffee or tea, others a little nosh, and still others will pull up into their regular (or not so regular) seat and enjoy a few moments of quiet. There will be welcoming smiles, morning greetings, and an amazing energy builds. At 9:00 a.m. a member of the clergy team will say “Shabbat Shalom” and we will dive into the portion of the week. One of our newest and youngest Torah study regulars, a 7th-grader who, after fulfilling her required attendance has continued to join us almost weekly, shared with me a beautiful reason as to why Torah study means so much to her. She pointed out that, when at school, she has to raise her hand and be called upon, that she feels pressure to know all the answers, and that the topics aren’t always her favorite. However, when … [Read more...]

There’s a book that sits on my shelf year-round, standing out for its bright white binding with big, bold, black letters. It’s called This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation. More than the content that fills the pages of this book, I’m constantly struck by, and aware of the title. I know the High Holy Days are real, but I’m not completely unprepared. That said, before the book went on my shelf, I was definitely unprepared, and yet the book can now sit on my shelf and no longer represent what I do not know. Rather, the book stands as a reminder of growth and transformation. That’s what the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe, are all about. This is our chance for growth and transformation. Our tradition elevates these days so that our words mean more now than they do any other time of the year.  Our requests for forgiveness are spiritually higher than the days that exist outside of this liminal timeframe. We are more open to and … [Read more...]

On Shabbat, we begin Rosh Chodesh Elul. The month of Elul is our wake up call that leads us into Rosh HaShanah. It is during this month that the shofar will sound each day in Jewish communities around the world. A unified sound will drift across time zones as people arise, gather, and sound the shofar before the sun goes down. At Temple Emanu-El, if you’d like to hear the sounding of the shofar, you’ll be able to catch it during the days of Elul at 4:00 pm. The special nature of Elul comes from Moses’ second journey up on Mount Sinai to collect the second set of tablets. Moses spends forty days on the mountain top after he broke the first set tablets in a rage when he saw the Israelites worshipping the Golden Calf. The date that he went back up is said to have been Rosh Chodesh Elul and that he did not return back to the Israelite people until Yom Kippur—forty days. Like Moses, we are called to engage in deep self-reflection and soul searching in anticipation of our own spiritual … [Read more...]

I often start my mornings at Temple Emanu-El with a trip down to the preschool or with a warm welcome to the little ones and their parents as they open our front doors with joy. These tiny tots are full of excitement and enthusiasm, having just had the chance to finally be tall enough to reach up and touch that magical blue button that rings the bell and opens the door to our sacred space. There is an innocent and everlasting love that comes from our tiny explorers. This very morning I had the chance to chat with one of our newest talkers as he tried to tell me about his new little sister. He sent me off to begin my day with a hug and a kiss as he and his dad began their journey down to the MJCCA Schiff School. It’s this kind of everlasting love that our Torah portion speaks about this week. We’re called upon to love God with all of our heart, soul, and might. Further, we are commanded to share this love of God with children throughout our entire day: when we lie down and when we rise … [Read more...]