Hope

Shabbat Behar B’chukotai: Hold Fast to Dreams

Posted on May 11, 2023

On January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty. He didn’t succeed in eradicating it. He didn’t win the war. But his clarion call did lead to a noble effort. Congress responded by passing the Economic Opportunity Act, which spawned 40 programs to alleviate the plight of the poor by expanding government funding for Continue Reading »

Nadav and Avihu are Dying Every Day

Posted on April 14, 2023

This week’s Torah portion, Sh’mini, relates the deaths of the two sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu. The boys entered the newly dedicated sanctuary unauthorized, offered “strange fire” upon the altar, and were consumed by the flames. Much is unclear, leaving some to speculate that the boys may have been drinking. What is clear is Continue Reading »

Refugee Shabbat: Exodus Stories

Posted on April 4, 2023

Next week, Jews around the world will gather together to celebrate the Festival of Passover. We will eat matzah and charoset, drink four cups of wine, and tell the story of our ancestors, who fled slavery and oppression in search of freedom and a new home. But it’s not just the Israelites’ story. We are reminded that, Continue Reading »

Parashat Terumah: A Generous Heart

Posted on February 24, 2023

Terumah 5783 This week we read the nineteenth parashah in the cycle of Torah reading – parashat Terumah starting with Exodus chapter 25, verse 2. The word Terumah is used seventy-six times in the Tanakh which includes the five books of Moses – the Chumash, plus “Prophets” Nevi’im and “Writings” Ketuvim where Terumah is taken Continue Reading »

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Posted on February 10, 2023

Our Torah portion this week is Parashat Yitro from the Book of Exodus (Sefer Shmot). Two major events occur in this portion. The first is when the Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro or Yitro, brings Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, to Moses in the wilderness. Seeing the situation Moses is in, Yitro Continue Reading »

Let the New Year and its Blessings Begin!

Posted on December 30, 2022

There is a human tendency to look to the future through the rear-view mirror — to assume that what was is what will be, and that what is happening now will inevitably continue. The Torah does not share this view. It sees every moment as filled with possibility and potential for change. This attitude, this Continue Reading »

Lech L’cha: We Are Not Expected to Complete the Work

Posted on November 4, 2022

In this week’s parashah, the Jewish people is born with God’s call to Abraham “Lech l’cha, Go forth…go forth to a land that I will show you.” God promises that Abraham will be the founder of a great nation. God will bless Abraham and make his name great, and he will a source of blessing Continue Reading »

Noach: We Have No Choice Other Than Repair

Posted on October 28, 2022

The Story of Noah and the Flood belongs to a genre known as apocalyptic literature. Found mostly in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, these scriptures describe cataclysmic events that will occur before God intervenes to redeem the world. All these prophecies speak of events that will occur at the End of Days, with Continue Reading »

There is No Simchah in the Singular

Posted on August 26, 2022

Fun comes in many forms. One can have fun by playing a game, riding a bike, or watching a movie. One can have fun alone or with others. Everyone deserves and needs to have fun. But, as a recent New York Times article notes, over the last two years, with us stuck at home and Continue Reading »

Refugee Resettlement Initiative Update

Posted on August 11, 2022

Highlights of the Past Year Since November 2021, TBE congregants have responded to the urgent needs of Afghan evacuees and other refugees settling in central New Jersey. We have donated time, personal resources, and items to support resettlement efforts, covering basic needs like food, clothing, transportation, technology essentials, and other needs that arise. THANK YOU! Continue Reading »