Rabbi’s Writings
By the Light of Thanksgiving
As Jewish families gather across the country this year on the last Thursday in November, you might very well hear: “Carve the Turkey and pass the Latkes.” No this is not some kind of cosmic time warp conflating the American festival of Thanksgiving and the Jewish Festival of Lights!! But what a strange feeling it is when these […]
Love Letter to My Congregation, Yom Kippur sermon 5782
Love Letter to My Congregation: A Legacy Letter of Appreciation and Blessing for A Lifetime of Learning, Love and Living Jewishly! An old joke, from before even I was a rabbi, goes like this: A congregant approaches his rabbi with a dilemma. “Rabbi,” he says, “I have a big problem. You know I’m a […]
The Twisty Road Towards Hope, Rosh HaShanah Sermon 5782
A brand new word—to most of us outside the gymnastics’ arena, anyway—was introduced into the broader human lexicon this summer at the Olympics. We came to know this new word—“twisties”—through the devastating experience of four-time gold medalist in gymnastics, Simone Biles. The “twisties” caused her to drop out of some of the most prominent gymnastic […]
On the Climate Crisis and in honor of Earth Day
Dear Haverim, In honor of Earth Day, I was invited to participate in an interfaith press conference, sharing our Jewish perspective on caring for our Earth. The gathering on Zoom was sponsored by Sacramento Area Congregations Together addressing the climate crisis we are confronting. I share with you my words below and you can also […]
B’KOL RAM – Uplifting Jewish Voices – “Mourning shaving” by Kenneth Firestein
B’kol Ram means “out loud” in Hebrew. I would like to invite other Partners to share their insights and Jewish moments that have touched them. This could help Partners to get to know each other in different ways. Please send me any notes you have about your experiences that might inspire us, move us and […]
The Meaning of Purim Unmasked (5781)
The effervescent levity of Purim each year spills over into the entire month of Adar, where it occupies a central position. From the moment Adar begins, Jewish tradition commands us to be happy (never mind the fact that there was always, Oy Gevalt, plenty to worry about). The joyous holiday of Purim, celebrating the dramatic and nail-biting […]
