This week’s Torah portion, Beshalach, from the book of Exodus is considered by many rabbis as the central part of our Jewish narrative… the splitting of the Red Sea. Remember, we had been slaves in Egypt for more than 400 years when God (via Moses) brought the ten plagues unto the Egyptians, the last of which was the slaying of their first born sons. Only at that point did Pharaoh relent and release us. And so we began our journey towards Israel. Looking at a map, one can see that the shortest route from Egypt to Israel is northeast, along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Torah tells us that God deliberately did not lead us the shortest route… “because it was near (!) (fearing that) perhaps the people would reconsider when they see a war, and then will return themselves to Egypt.” (Exodus 13:17) The 10th century sage known as Rashi explains that even though we ‘were armed’ when we left Egypt (Exodus 13:18), God knew that we were in a very vulnerable place, newly … [Read more...]

This weekend is HISTORIC. Saturday we chant Shirat Hayam, the Torah portion that holds the Song of the Sea. In this Torah portion, the people of Israel stand on the precipice between slavery and freedom. Their oppressors at their backs, and the unknown expanse of the sea before them, the Israelites choose to step into the waters, which miraculously part. When the people of Israel step into freedom, their emotions are such that they can only sing to God with joy: Michamocha Ba-elim Adonai, Michamocha Nedar Bakodesh? Who is like You among the Gods, who is like you in glorious holiness? If those words sound familiar, it is because they are! We sing Michamocha as a part of our Geulah, or prayers of redemption section of our daily, Shabbat, and holiday services. There are many fun melodies for this prayer! Check out Debbie Friedman’s famous version HERE Monday, we recognize a very different march to Freedom. This Monday we honor Dr. Martin Luther King and the incredible life and work he … [Read more...]

Are you so busy that sometimes you forget to do something important in your day? We’ve forgotten to feed the cat, take out the trash, run that errand, pick up the dry cleaning, or call back a friend. We’ve worked long hours that week, we’ve been so consumed with our job, or we’ve been so immersed in a task that we just never stepped away.  Traditionally, there have been (and continue to be) Jews throughout the world who seek to fulfill the commandment to study words from Torah, even to the exclusion of many other activities. Both lifestyles have their flaws, which is why the Chaffetz Chayim, a 19th century rabbi and teacher of Mussar, said: You occasionally see Jewish people learning as much Torah as they can. They value their time and do not waste any for fear they will not study as much as they should. But if they do not set aside part of their day to do acts of kindness, they are fools.* Whether we are absorbed in the study of Torah or furthering our professional life, … [Read more...]

As an athlete, I've always found peace on practicing on the court, field, or mountain. When I combine body, mind, and spirit, I feel that same sense of unity that we describe each time we pray the v'ahavta: loving God with all our heart, soul, and might. When we push our bodies to move, we gain new appreciation for the gift of life we enjoy each day—and especially for the days that our bodies move less well. For the past two days, I've been skiing with dozens of Reform Jewish middle schoolers, including our own Temple Emanu-El junior youth group, in the Blue Ridge Mountains putting this idea to work. Yes, on the surface we could be any group skiing down a mountain, but the after effect of this trip will ripple out like a pebble dropped in a calm lake. Jewish experiences like this give our middle schoolers greater appreciation for being Jewish. Because they came to NFTY, they will feel pride in their Jewish identity. As I write this, I am on the top of a mountain in the middle … [Read more...]

Congregants helping Congregants: Sharing our resources, helping others connect to Jewish community “Prayer cannot bring water to parched fields, or mend a broken bridge or rebuild a ruined city; but prayer can water an arid soul, mend a broken heart and rebuild a weakened will.” -- Abraham Joshua Heschel. Two months ago, I wrote about the incredible strides made by Koleinu, our inclusion awareness committee at TE. Koleinu means “our voices” and it is our mission to give a voice to everyone in the community. Koleinu aims to increase awareness and facilitate participation for everyone within the five main pillars of Jewish life at Temple Emanu-El. We want to make Jewish life accessible for those who live with different abilities, physical disabilities and invisible disabilities, and educate those who do not. Ruchanut- Worship & Spirituality is one of our five pillars here at TE. We share these words on our website: “Temple Emanu-El is PRAYER. We are your place of … [Read more...]