When I was in Israel two years ago, I had a chance to visit my cousins in Be’er Sheva. The four children of my Great Uncle Jack moved to Israel in the 1980s from Harrisburg, PA. They raised their children…
Torah Thoughts – Miketz 5779 (Genesis 41:1 – 44:17) – “What is Hanukkah?”
When Joseph offers his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams in this week’s Torah portion Miketz, it all seems obvious. Seven healthy sheaves of corn swallowed up by seven thin ones, seven healthy cows, eaten by sickly ones could only mean…
Torah Thoughts Vayeshev (Genesis 37:1 – 40:23) – “The Fate of Dreamers”
To dream in America is to truly live. Not so much for our biblical ancestors. For them dreams were not aspirations, but secret communique with God, that may not be received well by those of us here on earth.…
Torah Thoughts Lech Lecha (Genesis 12:1 – 17:27) – “Jewish Geography”
“Jewish Geography” When two Jews get together who have never met before, they generally compare notes. They go through a process we often call “Jewish Geography” which involves finding out where a person is from, what schools they attended,…
Torah Thoughts Noah 5779 (Genesis 6:9 – 11:32) – “Ararat: Penitentiary or Sanctuary?”
In Genesis, the Torah describes the water’s receding after the great flood until the tops of the mountains became visible (Gen. 8:5). One of these mountain tops became the place Noah’s ark landed upon, a place called Ararat. It was, for…
Torah Thoughts Bereishit 5779 – “A Tale of Two Etrogs”
An etrog is a precious thing. The biblical citron gleams a gorgeous yellow, cut open it tastes just like a lemon. It looks a lot like a lemon as well, growing in various sizes and shape, sometimes as small as…
Torah Thoughts Sukkot 5779 – “Guest Teachings for Sukkot”
In honor of Sukkot our holiday of Ushpizim, or guests, I would like to share a few guest teachings I was inspired by in recent days: The first two come from CSS members’ who had their “My View” columns published…
“GOOD JEW/BAD JEW: REMOVING RED LINES FROM THE JEWISH COMMUNITY”
All right, let me ask you a question – Good Jew/Bad Jew? Abraham, binds Isaac on the altar, takes a knife, raises it and brings it this close to his son’s throat – Good Jew/Bad Jew? Sarah, takes in her…
“A Tale of Two Fruits: What the Carob and the Pomegranate Have to Teach Us About a Sweet New Year”
On Rosh Hashanah, we wish one another “Shanah Tovah,” a good year. Sometimes we add, “umetukah,” a sweet year. Tonight, I would like to talk to you about what it means for a year to be sweet, and what it…
Torah Thoughts Nitzvavim (Deuteronomy 29:9 – 30:20) “You will make it there”
Ever have an event that you absolutely have to be at? The singer is giving their final performance, the hit show is in town, your favorite sports team is in the championship game. You would do anything to get…