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Posts by Rabbi Nicole Guzik

Why Abraham?


It seems obvious why Noah was chosen to save his family from the flood. He was described in the Torah as being blameless within his generation. But there is no explanation given as to why Abraham was chosen as the patriarch of the Jewish people.

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Expecting More


Growing up, my parents groaned if I used the excuse, “But everyone is doing it,” or “Everyone is going!” They made it clear that I did not belong to the club of “everyone.”

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Dancing and Crying


Joy is embedded within the name of the final holiday: Simhat Torah. We end the reading of one cycle of Torah and begin reading the Torah over again. There is a feeling of elation knowing that we have the ability to witness a continuing, evolving Judaism. That through the turbulence and turmoil of the world, the practice of reading, studying, and living Torah survives. For that, we celebrate. For that, we dance.

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A Bisl Sukkot – Fallen Sukkah, Resilient Spirit


Rabba Sara Hurwitz speaks about the surprising reference to the sukkah in the Birkat Hamazon, the blessing after the meal during the holiday of Sukkot. The blessing says, “May God establish for us the fallen sukkah of David.” She wonders why we reference the desire for a fallen sukkah. Isn’t that kind of request counter intuitive? Who wants to embody a fallen sukkah?

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A Bisl Sukkot – Fallen Sukkah, Resilient Spirit


Rabba Sara Hurwitz speaks about the surprising reference to the sukkah in the Birkat Hamazon, the blessing after the meal during the holiday of Sukkot. The blessing says, “May God establish for us the fallen sukkah of David.” She wonders why we reference the desire for a fallen sukkah. Isn’t that kind of request counter intuitive? Who wants to embody a fallen sukkah?

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A New World


Rosh Hashana celebrates the birth of the world. The holiday is also known as Yom Hazikaron, Day of Remembrance. How do you celebrate and remember at the same time?

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What Does God Look Like?


There is a piece of Jewish lore about a group of Jews praying in a synagogue. The setting is Eastern Europe during a time of great antisemitism. On Rosh Hashana, as the Jews take out the Torah and begin to read the holy text, a local official bangs on the door of the shul.

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