Last Saturday afternoon, Audrey Shine celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at CSS. What made this particularly important not just to the Shine family, but to our entire CSS community, is that Audrey is the third generation of her family to become…
Torah Thoughts – Nasso – Numbers.4.21-7.89 – “There is no me in community”
When we rise for the Barchu prayer on Friday Night, I often ask people to look around the room. Then I say, “Each and every one of you is important to our service tonight. Without you here, we would not…
Torah Thoughts – Bamidbar – “What Numbers Can’t Tell Us”
This much we know; on October 7, at 6:30 in the morning that day Jerusalem time the attack began. Over 5,000 rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza in a span of 20 minutes. 2,900 Hamas militants stormed the border,…
Torah Thoughts – Behar Leviticus 25:1-26:2 – “The Distinction Between Work and Play”
The summer after eleventh grade, I worked at Camp Ramah in the Poconos. The camp was affiliated with the Conservative movement, but I considered myself Orthodox at the time. This often posed challenges for me over the course of the…
Torah Thoughts – Emor – Leviticus.21.1-24.23 – “The Siren of Hope”
When the siren sounds in Israel at 11 am on Yom Hazikaron, everything stops. Nary a household is without loss. Nary a household is without pain. The memories of loved ones struck down in faraway wars and recent battles flash…
Torah Thoughts – Acharei Mot – Leviticus.16.1-18.30 – “Living in the Aftermath”
As a student of Columbia University in the early 90s, I lived in the aftermath of the civil unrest of the late 60s. Tall gates stood guard each time you entered or exited the long city campus. While they remained…
Torah Thoughts – Passover – Exodus.33.12-34.26 – “The Lamb of Freedom”
When we think of Passover, we focus on the Seder meal and all its intricacies and delights. Our ancestors, on the other hand, focused on one thing and one thing only – the Paschal lamb. This key annual tradition represented…
Torah Thoughts – Metzora – Leviticus.14.1-15.33 – “See You Next Year”
At the “Let’s Talk About Israel” Conference this past Sunday at the Buffalo Marriott, the keynote speaker, Shalom Orzach, spoke among other things, about Passover. “This is a holiday” – and I paraphrase – “where we sit around a table,…
Torah Thoughts – Tazria Leviticus 12:1-13:59 – “A Very Brave Bar Mitzvah Boy”
This Shabbat, we will celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Adam Kopf. In addition to sending out a big Mazel Tov to Adam, his parents Jennifer and Robert and older sister Natalie, we also commend him for taking on such a…
Torah Thoughts – Shemini – Leviticus.9.1-11.47 – “Lucky Number 8”
Biblically speaking, 8 (Shemonah) is one of the most important of all Jewish numbers. In addition to being the number of days when a circumcision Brit Milah is performed, it is at the heart of the Hanukkah celebration with its…