When you opened up your mail you saw Temple Emanu-El’’s Kesher magazine, full of inspirational messages, programming, and visioning for this year to come. We are a congregation with purpose, and we have incredible momentum! Many of you have reached out to your friends and family who might fit in well at TE. Thank you! (and keep’em coming). Aside from membership growth, is membership depth. Meaning, that we want to provide easy ways for you to better experience your Judaism. Judaism can help us live a deeper, more beautiful, more meaningful life. This is a big deal, and worth paying attention to, for who does not want to live the best life that we can? Throughout the ages, our wisdom tradition has provided various constructs to help us visualize how we might best engage with our Judaism, and through this to realize our potential as a human being. To this end, we are suggesting something very personal for you: The Five Pillar Challenge. For this year of … [Read more...]
There is Always Time for Israel
What rabbi goes to a conference during the busiest time of year, three weeks before the clock strikes 8:00 pm for our Erev Rosh Hashanah service?! Well, Rabbi Max and I made the journey this week to Washington, D.C. for AIPAC’s* National Rabbinic Symposium. There, I joined with rabbis from across the country to engage in learning sessions about the American-Israel relationship. Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Republican, Democrat, and everything in between - we came together because we know the importance of a strong relationship with the land, the people, and the State of Israel. During my time at the conference, I had two special opportunities to gather with other rabbis specifically from the Reform Movement. I had the pleasure of hearing from and continuing to build a relationship with Rabbi Josh Weinberg, head of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America. This organization means so much to me, because in addition to advocating for the safety and security of Israel, … [Read more...]
I have a smile on my face.
Why? Because I just received a note from a wonderful local Jewish family who just joined Temple Emanu-El. “Hi Rabbi! We have received lovely and generous emails and phone messages from many folks at Temple Emanu-El, thank you thank you all so much for welcoming us, very much looking forward to seeing and meeting and getting to know each of you!! My husband had a side conversation at work with someone, and found out that they also belong to Temple Emanu-El. We are excited about all the new and terrific things happening, have a good week!” To their delight, since they joined TE last week, they have discovered that they have many friends who are already members here. Their motivation for joining us as new members was so that they could live a deeper, more beautiful, and more meaningful life through their Judaism. Temple Emanu-El is their avenue, and we are thrilled to welcome them! As you know, new members are vitally important to the energy and health of our … [Read more...]
The Most Important Lesson We Learn in School
As school begins, excitement and anxiety build for all the wonderful surprises and challenges that we will meet in the coming year. We might be excited to see our friends again, or we might be worried about the new subjects we will uncover. However, there is one basic rule that we need to remember in school and in life: listen. That’s it. All we need to do in life is listen. True listening isn’t doing our best sponge impression and soaking up everything that’s around us. No, true listening is taking in information and wrestling with what we discover. This week we read parashat Eikev, a Torah portion where we are reminded what happens to those who listen to God. The Israelites are told that they belong to an eternal covenant with God, one that requires listening (read: caring for) the Earth and all the creatures that live upon it. Moses explains to the Israelites that true listening is an act of love done with our whole heart, mind, and being. For the student, the husband, the … [Read more...]
The Sublime, Holy Beauty of Music
Music has always been at the heart of Judaism in story, history and prayer. In Bereshit, God sings the world into being, and in Shemot, we sing ourselves to freedom as we wade through the red sea. In the book of Dvarim, Moses offered his dying words to Israel in the form of song. Abraham Joshua Heschel describes song as “the most intimate expression of man.” The Hassidic movement in Judaism elevates the practice of singing wordless melodies, niggunim, as the ultimate method of attaining true prayer. As Rabbi Reuven Hammer writes, “what words can adequately express our prayers to God? What words [alone] can truly capture the depths of our emotions at times of grief or of overwhelming joy?” The melodies of our prayers serve as a vehicle towards d’veikut, the feeling of closeness, or oneness with something greater. The melodies hold up our words. Melody and music become the conduit for our souls. When we come together as a community, our prayers become offerings to each other, and … [Read more...]
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