Our Celebration Under the Stars honoring Sarah Gluck on her retirement was a joyous weekend (April 29-30). So many people spoke beautifully of their respect and appreciation of Sarah. And Sarah closed out the celebration with these words of thanks: Thank you, Arnie. And everyone who has spoken, sung, played, and so, so much Continue Reading »
When the children of Israel were redeemed from Egypt, the Torah describes a moment when they found themselves trapped between Pharaoh’s army, which was gaining on them from behind, and the Sea of Reeds, which was before them. Not knowing what else to do, the people cried out to God, and Moses assured them that Continue Reading »
A certain anecdote comes to mind when I think about this week’s Torah portion, Sh’lach Lecha. I have shared it before, but it is so apropos that I can’t resist sharing it again. Two shoe salesmen from Britain went off to Africa in the early 1900’s to seek new markets for their wares. After a Continue Reading »
When Leigh Miller became our temple president two years ago, he was looking forward to helping us continue to grow as a temple family in important and meaningful ways, building on the strength of the leadership that preceded him. In his first holy day address, Leigh urged us to embrace one another and TBE more Continue Reading »
We are truly living through history. I suppose that may be true each day, but the events of the last 14 months are ones we will reflect upon for the rest of our lives and will surely retell to future generations of our families. I’m sure it is now obvious to all of us, that Continue Reading »
Comments from the Reflection Service during Yom Kippur My favorite Hebrew expression is kolhakavod. I heard it for the first time from a spectator, screaming from the sidewalk, as I was running the Jerusalem marathon. I was only at about mile five and this person was not just cheering ME. I was among thousands of Continue Reading »
For many of us, the last nine months have been some of the most challenging of our lives. Throughout these unprecedented times, our Temple Beth-El leaders and staff have worked hard to support our family of congregants and adapt to changing needs. Examples include the Helping Hands and Ladles of Love initiatives; regular phone outreach Continue Reading »
Two days have passed since the violent attack on the Capitol and many, if not most, of us are still in shock. If we hadn’t seen it with our own eyes, we likely would not have believed it could happen -— not here, not in America. To this I say: thank God this is America. Continue Reading »
Every year at our Yom Kippur Reflections Service, several members of our congregation speak about how Judaism, and the experience of being Jewish, has affected their lives, their perspectives and their character. Here, three of the speakers from this year’s service offer their thoughts on how being Jewish has impacted them. Rande Aaronson – When Continue Reading »
Over the summer, I was struck by the timeliness of a teaching from parsha Ki Teitzei in the Book of Deuteronomy. I was intrigued by how relevant the first three verses of Chapter 22 seemed to be in our current circumstances: (1) If you see your fellow’s ox or sheep gone astray, do not ignore Continue Reading »
