Rabbi Meir taught that we should recite 100 blessings every day. (Talmud Men. 43a) (See this list of 100 blessings offered by author Dannie Siegal: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/100-blessings/). This teaching reminds us to approach life with an attitude of gratitude and to look for the things that bring us joy, even amidst the challenges. Here we all Continue Reading »
Over the past two months, our teens have participated in a number of terrific travel experiences. Our TBE over night experiences are designed around Shabbat, to offer our teens the opportunity to further develop their Jewish identities through meaningful, hands-on learning and authentic Jewish experiences beyond the walls of the synagogue. Another central cornerstone of Continue Reading »
The last three weeks have been as challenging as any in my recent memory, and I suspect this statement is true for each and every one of us. And while it is easy (especially for me) to focus on the things that are not-so-great at the moment, I think it is also an opportunity to Continue Reading »
“In every generation we must see ourselves as if we personally went forth from Egypt…” (The Haggadah) Until now, I have never fully appreciated the significance of these two little words, “as if.” In Hebrew, one word suffices to say this, and that word is “k’ilu.”Children seem to understand innately the possibilities of k’ilu. Continue Reading »
Thank you to our temple staff and leadership team for their incredible efforts to keep our community moving forward. Efforts like Helping Hands, Ladles of Love and our group of dedicated Shomrim, in combination with the deployment of technology in new ways, have enabled our community to come together for worship, education and to just Continue Reading »
From January 21 through March 11, 2020, Temple Beth-El and our Reform Movement campaigned in the World Zionist Congress Election. This was the one democratic opportunity we had to have our Reform voices heard in Israel and throughout the world, and to work to implement the values we hold dear — pluralism, equality, freedom, and Continue Reading »
Seder means “order” in Hebrew, and on Passover it refers to the order of the service we conduct to relive the journey from bondage to freedom. This year as we prepare for Passover we are out of order, or, as we say in Hebrew, we are lo b’seder, we are not okay. Just a few Continue Reading »
This is a time for prayer, not instead of other forms of response and action, but in addition to them. Over the past week we have seen an alarming increase in the spread of the pandemic, and we, reasonably, are fearful and anxious. We fear for our own health and the health and safety of Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, Tonight, as the sun sets it will usher in a Shabbat that is different in many ways. The day that is dedicated to connections – with each other, with our souls, with God – is arriving during a time that we are rightly being warned to keep our distance from one another. In a sense, though, Continue Reading »
Our tradition teaches: “When Adar arrives, joy increases.” But this year, it is all too obvious that joy has become increasingly elusive with each passing day of Adar leading up to tonight’s celebration of Purim. Instead of joy, anxiety has increased as we have watched the spread of the coronavirus (thankfully, not significantly in New Continue Reading »
