We open the door for Elijah too late in our Passover Seder. According to the Haggadah, we invite the Prophet Elijah into our homes after the meal is over. This is too late! By the end of the seder meal, we've told the story of our exodus from Egypt, and all Elijah gets to enjoy is his cup of wine. The Prophet Elijah represents all who have been cast out, and we open the doors of our homes as a symbol that we would welcome anyone. The problem is that the food has been cleared, and the story is nearly over when we welcome newcomers inside.   Don't wait until it's too late to invite others to your seder.   I know that to invite others into your home for Seder can seem daunting. That's why we created a service at TE to connect congregants with other members looking to host or be hosted. We want to be your matchmaker and connect hosts with guests and guests with hosts.  If you want to host others or be hosted for seder, fill out your seder "profile" below so we can match you with others in … [Read more...]

Today is day 167 of the war against Hamas. I've heard many people ask the question: How do we celebrate ______ when there are still hostages…when there are children and mothers starving in Gaza.   If you've had these thoughts, know that you're not alone. Jews all over the world are holding these concerns.    However, we are on the edge of beginning one of the biggest celebrations of the year: Purim. During Purim, we are commanded to be celebratory, to feast, and to be merry.   For some, celebrating Purim will mean leaning into the celebration as a form of resistance, saying despite the rising hate and the war abroad, we will not be deterred from celebrating our Judaism. I call this the "Am Yisrael Chai" (the Jewish people live) approach.  For others, the celebratory feasting and merrymaking will not be their approach. Instead, they will lean into the other commandments of Purim: to send gifts to friends and those in need. Through these actions, some folks will find what I call a … [Read more...]

Everything can be a grogger if you believe hard enough. Zohara's Jewish education at The MJCCA Schiff School and the Diamond Family Religious School taught me this lesson. Perhaps the first lesson we learn for the holiday of Purim is how to properly "boo" the bad guy, Haman. We could shout, whoop, and holler, but why expend all that energy when you can put some coins in a tin can and shake it all around the house? Like the shofar of the High Holy Days, the grogger wakes us up from the slumber of winter.   Next weekend, we will celebrate Purim all weekend with our Temple Emanu-El family of all ages. Friday night, we have our DFRS/Davis Academy Shabbat service, Tot Shabbats throughout the day, our megillah reading with Dad's Garage Improv comedy troupe on Saturday night, and Sunday is the famous Purim Carnival with a Cause. There will be noise throughout the weekend that reminds us of the joy in the month of Adar-the sounds of laughter, children at play, and, of course, the grogger!  I … [Read more...]

During the month of Adar, we are supposed to increase our joy. The Hebrew year, 5784, is a leap year, which means we have another month of Adar (Adar bet) to find extra joy. While the ongoing hostage crisis and war continue in Gaza, the thought of increasing joy is complicated. How can we be joyful when our brothers and sisters are still in captivity? How can we be joyful while innocent mothers and children are hungry in Gaza? And yet, we, the Jewish people - despite all of our persecution and attacks on our community throughout the centuries - continue to live Jewishly because it is at the core of our resistance. Here at Temple Emanu-El, we hope you will take advantage of the many ways we plan to increase joy in the next month of Adar. We have something for every age and stage to celebrate one of our most famous victories, the holiday of Purim. Sunday, March 10 K12 Mishloach Manot 12:30-2:00pm Kids in grades K, 1, and 2 will prepare special gift bags for friends and those in … [Read more...]

Like many of you, I bought an Israeli-styled dog tag to show my support for Israel. On one side is the emblem of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) with the words "Am Yisrael Chai," Long live the people of Israel. On the other side is the emblem of the Nova music festival and the phrase, "We will dance again." For those unfamiliar, the Nova Music Festival was a dance party at Kibbutz Re'im in the desert for young Israelis. The now famous phrase, "We will dance again," comes from the released hostage Mia Schem, who was captured at the Nova Festival by Hamas. Mia's words resonate with me. We will dance again because we will not give in to intimidation and violence; rather, we will respond to hatred by living life to the fullest. In the last 146 days, we have celebrated (yes, celebrated) several Jewish holidays. Our joy has not been wholehearted, but we will not cease the pride in being Jewish because others hate us for it. Just like the days of mourning in our calendar, which recall the … [Read more...]