On Kol Nidre, Rabbi Max called upon the congregation to work toward living an unprocessed life and that we can use our Jewish rituals to help us get there.   How's it going for you so far?  Are you saying motzi before your meals? Are you taking that moment to acknowledge the mezuzah on the doorpost? Have you taken the extra few moments on Friday night to light candles, make kiddush, and bless the challah?  Whether you're batting 1.000 or haven't made it to the plate yet, I have just the ritual to add to your calendar this year. It happens to be a one-off, meaning it only happens once a year, but it happens every year.  At Temple Emanu-El, and at synagogues across the globe, Torah scrolls will be unrolled, and rerolled as we conclude the book of Deuteronomy and begin anew in Genesis.   Simchat Torah doesn't often fall at very convenient times. Everyone is tired after Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and even Sukkot.   However, THIS YEAR, our celebration couldn't be at a better time.   THIS … [Read more...]

Skip the blanket apology on social media this year.   They're on their way.  Inevitably a friend will post it. It reads like this: "To those I may have wronged, knowingly or unknowingly, I ask for your forgiveness. I am truly sorry. "  Every year, folks debate the merits of such posts around and during the High Holy Day season.   The origins of apologizing at this time of year can be found in Mishnah: "for transgressions of one human being against another, the Day of Atonement does not atone until they have made peace with one another" (Yoma 8:9). As such, we are reminded, especially around Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, to make peace in our strained relationships.  Friends, the public realm of social media is not the place for such apologies. Some will argue that perhaps posting on social media can open the door for someone to engage in the conversation, so why keep folks from such a starting point?   I hear you, but I take a different approach.  Our ability to fully understand the … [Read more...]

The kids are back to school, vacations have come to a close, and we begin again.  We're back. We're back in person. We need community. We need YOU!   Let this be a new year of services, social justice opportunities, Israel advocacy, social events, education classes, and a time to build sacred connections.  This Sunday, our religious school kids will flood every crevasse of the synagogue with smiling faces, inquisitive minds, and prayerful voices.  Lifelong Learning extends to our adults who will gather Sunday and Monday for our 'Why the Jews?' series.   Choir rehearsals are in full swing gathering Thursday nights.  Next Friday evening our Prospective Member Shabbat series begins and it's also big evening for our Davis families to come together for dinner and services too. Register HERE This Saturday, it wouldn't be Shabbat without a Temple Emanu-El Torah study, a bat mitzvah service, our first Kid-ish Service for K-5th graders, or our first youth events of the season.  Brotherhood had … [Read more...]

For most Reform communities these days, the "Three Weeks" leading up to Tisha b'Av are just like any other three weeks in the year. However, I know there are many folks in our community who grew up in different times. Perhaps you were told by your rabbi, "Sorry, you can't have your wedding on that date, it's in the 'three weeks.'" But then the rabbi never told you why! To begin, this is strictly an Ashkenazi custom - though Sephardim have their own version too. The Ashkenazi custom is not to hold weddings from the 17th day of Tamuz through the 9th day of Av. So what is this custom and why isn't it observed in our communities today? "The Three Weeks" is a mourning period that lasts, you guessed it, three weeks. The mourning period recognizes times in our history in which things weren't great for the Jewish people, in fact, they were some of the worst tragedies in our history - things like Moses breaking the tablets of the Ten Commandments after witnessing the golden calf incident, and … [Read more...]

Before going to Israel, I wondered what this experience would be like: leading my first congregational trip; traveling with a toddler; seeing Israel through the eyes of first-timers, especially with first-timers ranging from ages 2 to 70-something. It came to light quite quickly that the most exciting part was the chance to encounter sacred moments through the eyes of those around me. Not all sacred moments look the same.   They're unique to the individual even when experienced as a collective.    This Shabbat I plan to reveal a few of the sacred lessons from our journey.   I will explore the lessons of how recognizing the sacred spark of the individual who stands before us, can go on to be the starting point for understanding and love.   I will also explore how surviving a treacherous trail and blocking a busy Tel Aviv street, can teach us about the power of collective experience and building community.  Join me.   Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Rachael  … [Read more...]