The three most important pursuits in life are to pursue justice, raise many students, and create a fence around the Torah. Each of these three mandates have been interpreted in infinite ways, but I am going to add one more. These three mitzvah encompass what it means to be a Jew today just as much as it did when these words were probably written 2000 years ago. These three commands come from a book which may be familiar to many of you, Pirkei Avot-Great Lessons of Judaism. For those who have studied Pirkei Avot with Rabbi Spike, Rabbi Rachael, or myself, you have certainly read a few gems of wisdom while reading this sacred literature. So often we quote Hillel's injunction, "If I am not for myself, who will be for me…" or the favorite phrase turned into song at the Torah service, "Upon what does the world stand? The world stands upon worship, upon the study of Torah, and upon acts of love and kindness." But if you are like me, you like to stop at the introduction or preface of … [Read more...]

Tomorrow evening's Shabbat service will be led by our Confirmation classes of 5780 & 5781. There is something really sweet, and inspiring, when you see our synagogue's 10th and 11th graders celebrate their years of Jewish education through prayer. For those of you who are familiar with Confirmation, likely you have memories of profound connection. Which connection is most valuable to living a life of purpose and meaning?  The one with your rabbi who you have met with weekly for years?  The one with your synagogue which comes to house your amazing Jewish experiences?  The one with your Jewish community, your Jewish friends, who will remain with you for many decades to come?  The one with The Divine, whom you have been given the space, and the time, to explore? The answer, of course, is that all of them are invaluable and will pay dividends way beyond any particular moment in time. If you have kids (or grandkids) considering Confirmation Academy at Temple Emanu-El, or if you just … [Read more...]

A spark of holiness entered the walls of Temple Emanu-El this week as we welcomed Worldwide Pandemic Solutions into our building for the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. The last thing to be celebrated in Temple Emanu-El's old Brill Family Social Hall pre-pandemic was Purim 2020. Then, just a few days later, the world shut down. It was over that summer that the contractors completed the renovations -- and there it was, a beautiful, new, sparkling social hall, with no one able to enjoy it. It is quite fitting to the value system of Temple Emanu-El that the first use of this space is a vaccination site. This is especially the case, as vaccines are the very thing we need people to receive so that we can hold Purim, and many events and gatherings, in our sparkling new space. Our Torah portion this week is Acharei Mot-Kedoshim. Positioned against laws about the duties of Priests, fasting and atonement, sacrifices and sexual relations, we find a list of commandments that instruct the … [Read more...]

The title of the mini-course that I am currently teaching at Temple Emanu-El is "A Spiritual Exploration of the Land of Israel." In it, I ask our congregants to keep in mind the meta-question that frames our focus and conversation, that being: "What does it look like, feel like, and what does it mean for a Jewish individual, and the Jewish people, to have a 'spiritual connection' to the Land of Israel." In this question is an assumption that there is such thing as a 'spiritual connection' and that it is possible for people to have it with a place. For some of you reading this, you are shaking your head 'yes', as the assumption reflects what you know in your 'kishkas'.  For more generations than we can count, our people have been intertwined with the Land of Israel, and her people, and its fate.  We orient ourselves towards Israel through our prayers and food, our life-cycle events, and our dreams. For some of you reading this, you are not quite sure… the assumption of a … [Read more...]

Legacy. What's a Legacy? It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see. -Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton: An American Musical Every week at the end of our service we end with the same ritual, Kaddish Yatom, Mourner's Kaddish. Literally, Kaddish Yatom translates to the "Orphan's Kaddish." Perhaps the prayer is called this because we become orphaned when our family dies. Ending a service on such a somber and sobering note is a curious tradition. Perhaps it would be more uplifting to end with some kind of blessing for children, to see the small smiling faces beaming at a congregation full of family and friends. Instead, we end in memory by reciting the names of loved ones newly and long gone. There is power in this act of recollection. When we say their names, we breathe life into their legacy. We don't stop just at Kaddish. The names of our family members who have entered eternity become a part of the spoken traditions at all the family gatherings. Most families have a storyteller, … [Read more...]