It is appropriate on this Martin Luther King Day Shabbat, that we read in parshat Sh’mot the story of how the Israelites became enslaved by the Egyptians, and how they started on their road to redemption. As I read through the parashah I am struck by Pharoah’s attempt to enlist the Israelite midwives in thesubjugation Continue Reading »
In the wake of the hostage rescue at Congregation Beth Israel in Texas, so many emotions have been stirring within — relief, fear, gratitude, vulnerability, anger — it’s hard to know what to do with all these feelings and stay grounded. How fitting that tomorrow is our Tikkun Olam Shabbat. Tikkun Olam means “repairing the world,” helping to make Continue Reading »
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on just about everything around us, and IHN (Interfaith Hospitality Network) is no exception. When the pandemic hit hard in March 2020, the Somerset County Board of Social Services, which sends 99% of the clients to IHN, shut down. There were two families in the rotation (moving Continue Reading »
I was nervous. After all, I had never done this before. Hoping to make a good first impression, I wanted everything to be just right: the menu, the setting, and especially the conversation. Having never met the people with whom I was about to spend the next few hours, I worried about the conversations the Continue Reading »
