A particular anecdote comes to mind when I think about this week’s Torah portion, Sh’lach Lecha. I have shared it before, but it is apropos, and I can’t resist sharing it again. In the early 1900s, two shoe salesmen from Britain went abroad to seek new markets for their wares. After a week, each wrote Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, At this poignant moment of transition words feel insufficient to express all that is in my heart. My family and I have been so blessed to be embraced by this loving, caring extended Jewish family, and to have the gift of calling this Beit El, this house of God, our Jewish home. You have touched Continue Reading »
As the Book of Numbers opens, the Torah is focused on the final preparations for our people’s journey home to the Promised Land. They have crossed the sea to freedom. They have stood at Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah and have renewed their covenant with God. They have built the Tabernacle and consecrated it. Continue Reading »
A few years ago, MetLife ran a clever ad that featured an image of their iconic blimp piloted by Snoopy and the word LIFE that highlighted the middle letters “IF.” Its tag line was, “Metlife, for the IF in LIFE.” Beyond good advertising, the ad offered sage advice. There is wisdom in being prepared for Continue Reading »
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 Continue Reading »
Kedoshim means “holy ones,” and refers in Jewish tradition to those who live holy lives — as this week’s parashah calls us to do — and those who give their lives as martyrs for a sacred cause. As we discussed last Shabbat, Jewish tradition has long struggled with the choice of martyrdom, as ours is a Continue Reading »
This week’s Torah portion is Acharei Mot, “after the death,” referring to the tragedy that befell the sons of Aaron who died while offering “strange fire” on the altar of the newly dedicated Tabernacle. The Torah is unclear about the nature of the transgression represented by that “strange fire,” leaving commentators to speculate. Some say Continue Reading »
The morning after 1st Seder I woke up bleary-eyed and found our granddaughter Lizzie scrolling through the offerings on Disney+. Looking over her shoulder I saw Peter Pan roll by and thought – that is the perfect film for this moment in our Jewish story. Why is that? What makes the fantasy of Neverland – of Continue Reading »
Certain events are so monumental that they are known by the shorthand of the date they occurred —December 7, September 11, October 7. I don’t know whether April 13 will stick, but, in my thinking, it belongs in this category. April 13, 2024, will be remembered as the day that the war between Iran and Continue Reading »
This week’s parashah, Sh’mini (Lev. 9-1 through 11-47), begins on the eighth day, the day after the 7-day ordination of the priests, hence its name. Aaron begins his priestly duties and the Tabernacle’s activities commence. With the priests in place, worship can begin. But in the tragic story that follows, Nadab and Abihu, the two older sons Continue Reading »
