L’Shana Tovah! What a joy it was to celebrate Rosh Hashanah together. May the coming year be one of gladness and growth, as we continue to search out the prayers, the melodies, the spirit and the new directions we need most.
As a famous proverb is fond of reminding us, it’s never too late. It’s never too...Read more...
I began this series of reflections on the month of Elul with words from liturgist and translator Marcia Falk. It seems only appropriate to end with her words as well. The closing of Elul is upon us, and with it, Rosh Hashanah arrives and we begin once more.
“We enter the gates, grateful
for the blessing of renewal.
Let us bless the flow of life
that revives us,
sustains us,
and brings...Read more...
Today is the twelfth day of Elul, which means half of the month is nearly gone. On the other hand, half of it is still left. How will each of us use this sacred time for our High Holiday preparation?
Rabbi Alan Lew of blessed memory, a pioneer in the practice of Jewish meditation, reflects on the paradox of Ki Tetze, our Torah portion this week, which falls every year...Read more...
Today is the fifth day of the Hebrew month of Elul, which is the preparatory month just before Rosh Hashanah begins. And how do we make ourselves ready? We pay attention. We turn inward. We think about what we need to muster in order to face the new year with hope and commitment to things larger than ourselves.
There are so many Jewish sources to keep us company...Read more...
Our Torah portion this Shabbat, Re’eh, opens with God’s words to the Israelites: “See, this day I set before you blessing and curse. What follows is quite characteristic of Torah, promising Israel that if they stay true to their path, to their obligations, to what God asks of them, blessings will indeed be theirs. But (and you can probably guess what’s coming!) should they turn away from God’s...Read more...
This column comes your way from Great Barrington, MA – home of Eisner Camp, which is our region’s Union of Reform Judaism overnight camp. Like most URJ camps, Eisner invites rabbis to spend up to a week with them during their different summer sessions. Guest rabbis teach, help with services and electives, and are generally on hand as a rabbinic presence for the kids. So, armed...Read more...
Perhaps the hardest lesson for any child to learn is that parental decisions are sometimes final, whether or not one agrees with their parent’s logic. With infuriating consistency, no means no, no matter how much a child may plead, pucker out a lower lip, or employ the most adorable, irresistible pair of puppy dog eyes. Asking again five minutes later is unlikely to result in a different...Read more...
A good friend of mine once reflected that life is a process of discovering why clichés are clichés. Does the phrase “where does the time go” count?! It’s hard to believe it’s the first of August already, with its ever-present heat, sudden and fierce rainstorms, summer concerts and festivals. Here at TBD we have our own summer traditions: outdoor Torah Study, Parents’ Night Out and Sisterhood Dinners. It is...Read more...
Depending on how you work the numbers, I’m one of 9 children. Or 11. Or 16. After my parents split, each remarried someone who brought their own kids into the mix. So, for anyone keeping score: 3 brothers (1 deceased), 5 sisters, 1 half-brother, 1 half-sister, 3 stepsisters, 2 stepbrothers. Some of these siblings grew up with me in Albany—sharing values, bedrooms, clothes, a love of corny jokes, and the local...Read more...
