Posts by Rabbi Nicole Guzik

While the news was breaking about the horrific events in Nice, France (how many more times will I need to write a sentence like that?) Sinai Temple opened her doors and prayed with the community. All colors, all creeds, all faiths…dancing and singing and hoping that for a few hours, the fear of the stranger would transform into acceptance of the other. Our law enforcement swayed, arms linked with African-American gospel preachers. And we sang the following: When the night has come And the land is dark And the moon is the only light we’ll see No I won’t be…

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Do you feel helpless? Every day we are barraged with a disregard for life, a reckless destruction of humanity. Why are human beings so egotistical to determine when and where life should cease? No human being should fear another; God should be the only determinant of when life begins and when life ends. Psalm 121 reads, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills; from where does help come? Help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” A raw, anguished cry for help, the Psalmist searches for answers from heaven above. Today, our voices echo the Psalmist….

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I recently sat with a Jewish professional and she challenged me to think about those phrases: do those that take part of our faith communities see themselves as owners or renters? An owner is a stakeholder. Someone that sees value in defining the mission of the synagogue, setting achievable goals, volunteering, planning events, all of which assists the clergy person in holy works of engagement. A renter floats. A renter stops in, partakes in a service or two but doesn’t see himself as someone that wishes to invest time, money or effort. A renter sees the synagogue as a “place”…

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