September 3, 2021   Dear friends,   A few last-minute points before we go into High Holy Day mode. This letter will contain: A letter from Sally Hipscher and me regarding our annual food drive (Sally and Audrey mastermind this great effort every year). A public-service announcement about the preliminary … READ MORE

August 27, 2021 Friends, In our Wednesday night Elul sessions, we have been compiling a tool-box of strategies for making the High Holy Day season and the coming year more meaningful. Last week, we looked at one of the Torah portions for Rosh Hashanah and discussed the idea of “seeing … READ MORE

August 20, 2021 Friends, We had an illuminating discussion this past Wednesday night in our Elul session about the human yearning to “be seen.” Being seen means that someone recognizes you for who you are, in your essence, in your humanity. We looked at the complex passages from Genesis 16 … READ MORE

Aug 13, 2021 Friends, The long, languid days of August are in full force. The summer is winding down. The city feels a little emptier and a lot steamier. The COVID “vacation” that I wrote about a couple of months ago seems, like the summer, to be on its way … READ MORE

June 25, 2021 Many in our country are deeply concerned about the “post-truth” age that we are living in. In an era of Q-Anon conspiracy theories that have gained astonishingly wide traction, of broadly disseminated election-fraud frauds, and a general rejection of demonstrable fact, certain fundamental values are being tested … READ MORE

June 18, 2021 There is a palpable change in the air. These last couple of weeks, many of us have been shedding our masks, letting our hair down, relaxing – at least a little bit! – into summer. The pandemic is not over, and there are reasons to be concerned … READ MORE

June 11, 2021 Parashat Korach, the Torah portion that we read tomorrow morning, challenges us to think about leadership. Moses and Aaron are the leaders of the Israelites, appointed by God, but their cousin Korach and his band question their leadership: “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, … READ MORE

May 21, 2021 10 Sivan 5781 Rabbi Manei of Sh’av and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Great is peace, for all blessings and goodness and mercies (i.e. prayers) that the Holy Blessed One gives to Israel are sealed with peace. The reading of the … READ MORE

May 14, 2021 There has been so much cause for grief and sadness lately. It feels a bit like the world is convulsing, like we’re living through Tolkein, a shadow growing longer and darker. Maybe it’s the ongoing trauma of COVID-19; maybe it’s the bulging of hatred and division around … READ MORE

May 7, 2021 In this edition: -Devonte Lewis -Erev Shavu’ot IN-PERSON Gathering!!! -Upcoming programs and classes -Acosta-Molina Family Update   Devonte Lewis As we all continue to process the events of last week, more details about the killing of Urban Dove student Devonte Lewis have emerged. The one detail that … READ MORE