Rabbi Guzik - A Bisl Torah

Will you find your melody? The beginning of the month of Elul forces us to come face to face with our mortality. In just weeks we will gather as a community, hoping to find prayers and words that match the brokenness...

It has been a distressing, troubling week. Globally, nationally, and personally for the Sinai Temple community, the sound of hearts breaking seems constant and unavoidable. In a recent exchange, someone remarked to me, “This is going to be quite a...

On August 21st, the world will be treated to a solar eclipse. But notably, a solar eclipse is usually paired with a lunar eclipse, this having occurred earlier this week. The moon travels through the outer part of the Earth’s...

Last week from the bimah, I shared a story about a magical moment that took place at Camp Ramah: I was asked to teach the Ezra staff. Ezra is the summer program at Camp Ramah for adults with learning, emotional...

It has been a common theme this week. I started learning guitar a few months ago, and my teacher noticed how tightly I grip the neck of the instrument. How fiercely I push down on the strings. He looked at...

Documenting our lives has never been easier. So many of us post on Facebook and Instagram, write personal blogs, send tweets and make a point to let the world know exactly what we are doing … each minute of the...

I was recently at a location that advertised their “community footprints” program. The program emphasizes the business’ responsibility towards the environment. The point was that each one of us makes an imprint in this world–for better or worse. What kind...

What do you do for someone else…just because? This week’s Torah portion begins with the confusing instructions regarding the ritual of the red heifer. Midrash paints an interesting picture of this confusion. King Solomon is recorded as saying, “I have...

I recently attended a meeting in which we discussed the topic of separation. The meeting focused on parents separating from children–either leaving to go to work or leaving to run an errand. Often parents sneak out the door in order...

A Lost Art Recently I’ve noticed a disappointing trend. While some argue that opening the door for another person isn’t egalitarian and perhaps even seen as belittling, call me old fashioned, I appreciate the small gestures. I like when someone...