Religion’s purpose is to feed our souls. Often, spiritual nourishment is achieved through physical contact, by showing up and being present in the moment, by filling a seat in the pews. Yet, these actions continue to be challenging in the wake of the spread of Coronavirus. How do we continue to celebrate in community while being physically isolated from each other? The Midrash asks, “How come that Esther was privileged to rule over 127 provinces?” The answer, “Let Esther whose great-grandmother lived 127 years come and rule over 127 provinces.” The Rabbis explain that other queens who reigned…
Honorable Mensch-ion
It’s Complicated
The following was featured in the Jewish Journal. The full article is accessible HERE Throw 25 rabbinical students from the major streams of Judaism on an Israeli tour bus for a week, and what do you get? A complicated situation. This is exactly what the AIPAC Lefell Fellowship aims to accomplish: bring together future rabbis in a space that permits discussion, disagreement and love for the Jewish state. As a recent rabbinic mentor on the Fellowship, I witnessed firsthand the intricacies, nuances and sensitivities of America’s future rabbis; different political, religious and social backgrounds, all with a distinct view…
Camping
I did not grow up attending overnight camp. I stuck with sports day camps. It was not until my first year as a Rabbi that I slept at a Camp Ramah and witnessed firsthand the powerful effect of Jewish camping on our youth. Each one of us joins a synagogue community for a different reason; religious education, social experience, and/or spiritual community. We arrive with our distinct needs. We hope to meet other like minded people, establish social bonds and increase our spiritual awareness. Yet, we often check our Judaism at the door. Our immersive experience lies within the…
The Shabbat of Love
The secular calendar tells us love is in the air. But the Jewish calendar and parshat Yitro inform us that it is God who wishes us to live a life of love. When the Ten Commandments are given, it is in the context of relationship. They are not given in order to earn God’s love. Rather, they are to inform us how to live as God’s people. Yesterday I had the opportunity to volunteer at Big Sunday on Melrose Avenue. Big Sunday is an organization that provides volunteer opportunities almost everyday of the week, big and small, making…
Grown Up
My four year old asked me while walking out the door this morning, “Abba, am I almost a grown up?” My six year old chimed in with a response. “I’m closer than you to being a grown up.” I chuckled as I listened to this conversation. So many days we wake up asking the same question, “When will be grown up?” Each time we reach a different stage of life, personally or professionally, we recognize we have purely started again, and are no closer to our final destination that we thought. We Jews as a people are the…
Gold Medals
Zach Penprase grew up in Moorpark, CA, with very little Jewish identity, until he became an Olympic baseball player, representing the State of Israel. Zach’s mother is Jewish, and his grandmother is from the island of Rhodes. After connecting with Zach, I invited him and his teammates to Sinai Temple. Last week, over 100 people gathered for Shabbat lunch and heard the unbelievable stories of how playing baseball for Israel in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics allowed him to understand he is not just representing a country, but representing the Jewish people around the world. For the last month, Zach has…
Be Part of the Story
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks tells of the times his father took him to the synagogue. His father had very little education, and sold garments on the street. Each week they would return home from the synagogue and young Jonathan would asked his father the meaning of the traditions and rituals. His father would respond, “Jonathan, one day, I will give you the keys to the answers. I will ask you the question and you will tell me the meaning.” Rabbi Sacks explains this simple story was the impetus for him to become a Rabbi, and ultimately the Chief Rabbi of…
United We Stand
The Exodus commences the Jewish exile. Jacob did not go alone; the children of Israel went with him. Jacob’s name change to Israel occurred after his successful struggle with Esau’s angel, Jacob is a “pure man, the dweller in the tents of learning.” These are the keys to exile-love and devotion to learning. Rabbi Z.S. Suchard explains the qualities represented by Jacob can never leave a Jew; this is his existence. Yet, to exist in the Diaspora, we must connect with our neighbors, our friends. Tonight, I am honored to welcome my friend and fellow faith leader, Pastor John…
The Minyan Hop
Last Friday, when deciding which synagogue to attend in Jerusalem, I ultimately chose the Kotel, the Western Wall. Approaching the Kotel, you hear the calls of “Minyan, Minyan.” Groups coalesce to form the required quorum of ten. As the crowd swells, confusion settles in. On my right I heard Sephardic melodies. On my left, I listened to Ashkenazic niggunim. I found myself singing the melodies of Shlomo Carlebach, surrounded by young yeshiva students and soldiers. As we turned to face the plaza and welcome the Shabbat bride, a group of Americans looked at each other, and asked, “What do you…
Walking the Land
The past, the present, and the future. While in most parts of the world it is difficult to experience all of these in one sitting, we know in Israel, it is easy. This week has been all of that and more. I have been honored to be the representative Conservative rabbi on the AIPAC Lefell Fellowship trip, comprised of 22 rabbinic students from the Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform movements across the United States. The Present… We met Chen from Kibbutz Gaza. She took us to her backyard, opened a shed and began to take out rocket after rocket…
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