This Friday night we have a very special Shabbat service during which we will honor the man whom I have dubbed ‘The Godfather of Temple Emanu-El’, Lee Katz. It is an auspicious coincidence (or is it?) that this week’s Torah portion is Lech Lecha from the book of Genesis.  In it, Abraham and Sarah hear God’s call to leave the place where they can be comfortable and not do too much, in order to go out into the world of the unknown and engage it as a blessing.  It is from these words that we Jews receive our meta-mission: to mend a world that is broken, with God as our partner.  Abraham and Sarah begin this journey the only way that they know how…one step at a time, and one person at a time.  When they see an opportunity to help another, they go out of their way to try.  When they see an injustice, they do their best to make a difference.  It’s a journey that they started in the Torah, and one that we Jews continue to this very minute. Like Abraham and Sarah, Lee has quietly and behind … [Read more...]

The air is electric and filled with anticipation. Although there is music playing in the background, your ears barely register the sound. A hush falls over the room; and there she is- your bride. She is stunning; she looks aglow; radiant with joy as she walks toward you. You feel your heart fill with happiness, more than you could have ever imagined. You stomp on the glass, and the crowd erupts with joyous calls of laughter and song. This sacred moment is the inspiration for Lcha Dodi. Shlomo Alkabetz, a 16th century kabbalist, wrote this liturgical poem as an acrostic. The text is rich with quotes from the Torah, prophets and imagery of nature and creation. One of my favorite verses of all times comes from this text: הִתְעורְרִי הִתְעורְרִי כִּי בָא אורֵךְ קוּמִי אורִי עוּרִי עוּרִי שיר דַּבֵּרִי כְּבוד ה' עָלַיִךְ נִגְלָה Hitor’ri, hitor’ri, ki va oreich, kumi ori. Uri, uri shir daberi! K’vod Adonai ala-yich nig-lah! Arise; awake your light has come! Arise, shine awake and sing: the … [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...]

“The most direct means for attaching ourselves to God…is through music and song. Even if you can’t sing well, sing. Sing to yourself; sing in the privacy of your own home. But sing.” –Rebbe Nachman of Breslov Rebbe Nachman of Breslov is one of our great Hasidic masters. He lived during the 18th century, and his teachings speak towards finding healing out of crisis and suffering and developing a sense of joy and connection to God in everyday living. One of the most primal vehicles for seeking this kind of spiritual connection is song. Rebbe Nachman is not the only Rabbi to teach us that song can help us to express our thoughts or most especially, our prayers, in a deep and meaningful way. Abraham Joshua Heschel uses gematria; a system of assigning a numeric value to Hebrew letters and words to explain the interwoven bonds between prayer and song. The numeric value of the letters that constitute the Hebrew word for song; shira; is the same as the numeric value of the word tefillah; … [Read more...]

Jews all over the world begin this Shabbat by reading the first chapters of the Torah. Clearly, “In the beginning…” is a very good place to start. I’m always blown away at how these sacred stories are simultaneously timeless and intensely personal. They remind us where the Jewish story fits into the human story, and how we might find ourselves pivotal in an endless universe. But my favorite thing about starting Genesis is that we are starting afresh.  Rosh HaShannah and the High Holidays have come and gone, as have Sukkot and Simchat Torah.  Now we are, thankfully, back to the incredible Jewish ‘routine’ of the regular year. Many of you have told me that one of your New Year’s resolutions for 5780 is to come to Friday night services more regularly, minimally once per month. This is a good start. With the momentum of the Jewish New Year and the beginning of our Torah cycle, I’d like to suggest that you start on your aspiration this Shabbat. Couldn’t you use the spiritual and emotional … [Read more...]