Keeping Connected    May 2019

What is a synagogue? A temple? The Temple? What was the Mishkan? What is a sanctuary? What is sacred space? What is sacred time? What is sacred? These are the types of questions that might be asked in a Jewish Trivial Pursuit game and they are questions that are being asked by members of our Mishkan Advisory Group. In the fall we shared with our members that the ritual committee had renamed itself the Mishkan Advisory Group. In thinking of our congregation as a mishkan, a place that holiness is present, our intent is to take a more holistic approach to spirituality, prayer, worship and ritual in our community than we have in the past.

At the end of March, the Mishkan Advisory Group held a moving holy book burial ceremony that involved our students and many members of our congregation. I would say that for those of us who were present, that experience felt like sacred time and the place that the books were buried, under the trees that were planted years ago by our students, will feel like a sacred place. I am sure that looking back on their religious school experiences, the students who participated will be sure to remember that day in their Jewish lives. Thank you to all who participated in helping to make that ritual a success: Lynne Rothstein, Mitch Hyatt, Josh Degen, Ethel Kamien and all the members of the committee. In the summer and fall, Linda Lischer will help us with plantings around where the books are buried so that this location will become a place that our members might want to visit for inspiration.More

Keeping Connected  April 2019

Spring is just around the corner and we will soon be celebrating Passover, the Festival of Freedom. Pesach is a holiday that evokes differing emotions and meanings. We look forward to connecting with family and friends. We anticipate with excitement eating foods made from recipes that have been handed down through many generations of our family. Some of us love to create new family traditions that we can pass down to our children. We might set our tables with family heirlooms like silver bechers and old seder plates that belonged to grandparents or great-grandparents or we might set our tables in a dramatic manner that recalls being in Egypt. We debate whether matzah balls should be hard or light and whether we should make a traditional ashkenazic charosets versus a dried fruit and savory style version from another region of the world. Versions of haggadot also ABOUND! There is the Maxwell House that many of us grew up with and contemporary versions galore that focus on themes of social justice. There are haggadot geared to young kids and haggadot that are theme-based; yes, there is a baseball haggadah, a Harry Potter haggadah, a vegan haggadah and more!More

Keeping Connected  March 2019

Dear Friends,

Years ago, when I was in seminary, Rabbi Alexander Schindler (z”l), the then president of the Reform Movement, courageously and passionately spoke about the need to throw open the doors of our synagogues to all those who were interested in being involved with Jewish life. He coined the term “Outreach” and in those early days, the Reform movement’s efforts were directed in particular to More

Keeping Connected  February 2019

Dear Friends,

As a rabbi, it is a blessing, to be able to share the richness and joys of Jewish life with others. As a rabbi, however, it is also my responsibility to talk about difficult subjects. In particular, to address the reality that sometimes being Jewish is hard; that as Jews we can feel under-threat and impacted by forces of anti-Semitism. Sadly, in the last few years, just as hate-crimes as a whole More

Keeping Connected January 2019

Dear Friends,

I am excited to be part of an effort in collaboration with our lay leadership to increase opportunities for engagement and community building within the framework of our congregation.  Some of these programs will be happening under the umbrella of the Membership Committee.  We have many ideas and hope some of them will resonate with you. More

December 2018 Newsletter Article

Dear Friends,

In 2017, 13 members of our congregation travelled to Washington, DC, to participate in an inspiring social justice seminar program called Consultation on Conscience.  COC, is a biennial conference that happens over a three-day period in Washington, DC, just as a new session of Congress is sworn in. The program helps to inspire, invigorate, train and empower Jewish leaders who desire to do the work of Tikkun Olam more effectively; to make significant, lasting changes in our society at a local, state and national level.  Sponsored by the Reform Movement’s Religious Action Center, this conference brings together Jewish lay people and social justice leaders from Reform congregations and communities across North America. The attendees are able to participate in meaningful and inspiring programs that will help them advocate for true social change. The programs, which are led by some of our nations most dynamic leaders, help the attendees learn more about the critical issues facing society and culminates in lobbying Congress on the final day.  It is truly an amazing experience to lobby with hundreds of other leaders from the Reform Movement and to know that as a collective force we can become a catalyst for change.  More