An Ode to the Jewish American Experience in Honor of Independence Day

July 3, 2017

Jews have been a part of the American experience from the beginning.  We’ve shared in her trials and tribulations.  We arrived with the first settlers in New Amsterdam, and later we participated in the great migration west.  We’ve plowed her fields, fought in her wars, and in general, participated in almost every aspect of her […]

Pesach and Hope

April 11, 2017

When you think about all the challenges we face it is easy to be cynical or just give up. Politics, the Environment, the Middle East; the list of serious issues is overwhelming, making it a great spiritual challenge to stay hopeful in a world with so many seemingly intractable problems. Thank God for Pesach because […]

The Arc of History Bends Toward Justice

December 14, 2016

Now that the shock of the election has passed, we are in a state of limbo watching, wondering, worrying what President-elect Trump and his administration will be like. In the congregation emotions are running high; more than anything, people are afraid and their fears mirror where they feel vulnerable. A mom calls frightened for her […]

Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

November 15, 2016

The following remarks were delivered at the interfaith Thanksgiving service at Shomrei Torah on November 13. What a challenging week it has been since the election on Tuesday. We have had two large gatherings here since the elections and the overwhelming feeling of the congregation has been one of mourning. The last time I remember […]

Election Got You Stressed? Just Breathe

November 4, 2016

As I write this, we are five days from the election. Oy! This political season has been the worst in memory. Everywhere I go people tell me how anxious and upset they are about the campaign, and the truth is, I feel the same way. We all want it to be over. But let’s face […]

Holding the Ladder

August 31, 2016

A story… The Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Hassidic movement, took a long time to pray over Shabbat.  He would begin Shabbat morning services with his followers, and a couple hours later, they would be done yet he would still be engrossed in prayer.  They would sit in quiet reverence and wait; twenty […]

An Ode to the Jewish American Experience in Honor of Independence Day

July 6, 2016

Jews have been a part of the American experience from the beginning.  We’ve shared in her trials and tribulations.  We arrived with the first settlers in New Amsterdam, and later we participated in the great migration west.  We’ve plowed her fields, fought in her wars, and in general, participated in almost every aspect of her […]

Shomrei Torah Update

July 1, 2016

“Summer time and the living is easy…” or not!  While the Jewish calendar slows down in the summer, life in our community continues at a fast pace.  In June we celebrated our last Shabbat with Cantor David.  We are sad to see him go but happy he found his first full-time position (he was only […]

Religion & Politics in Your Synagogue

May 10, 2016

As the presidential race heats up, the question of the role of religion in politics, especially here at Shomrei Torah, feels more urgent to me.  We do have a few guidelines.  For us to keep our non-profit tax exempt status we cannot favor one candidate over another.  We can and do get behind issues, just […]

A Moment Away from Being Free

April 21, 2016

So I’m walking in Hood Mountain in the early evening and I am in deep thought over what to write for Passover which is just two days away. I bet I look preoccupied, like when someone is talking to you while checking their smartphone. If someone could plug into my brain, my internal dialogue would […]