Rabbi Sherman - Honorable Mensch-ion

As I awoke on Thanksgiving morning, I started a text chain reminiscing of a tradition we partook in as children; a simple trip to the bakery to pick out the cookies and pies for Thanksgiving dinner. Now, as my siblings...

When Abraham purchases the Cave of Machpela, in the city of Hebron, to bury Sarah and our ancestors, the Rabbis ask, “What type of coin did he use?” We know it was not a quarter or silver dollar. The answer…...

This past week, rockets once again rained down on Israel, reaching as far as the central part of the country. Schools closed, people were home from work, and one jarring picture of a wedding taking place in a bomb shelter...

Go to yourself. That is God’s command to Abraham-to leave his father’s house, to leave his country, and go to a strange land that God will show him. It is easy to be told where to go and what to...

Growing up in upstate New York, the story of Noah and the ark made complete sense. Rain was a staple of the season. In fact, a flood would usually accompany the Shabbat of Noah. In Southern California, we pray for...

Last week, I met with a Catholic middle school student who had an assignment to learn about Judaism. She arrived prepared with a list of questions about belief, ritual, and history. We toured the sanctuary, looked at different Torahs, and...

On my way to my office this week, I stopped in to a Sinai Akiba Academy guest lecturer, children’s author and illustrator, Bryan Collier. He explained to the children that each one of them is an artist in his or...

On Yom Kippur afternoon, we read from the book of Vayikra, the holiness code. As we concluded, the honor of dressing the Torah was given to a young 7 year old boy named Eli. As he placed the crowns on...

The following piece was included in this week’s Jewish Journal. Here is a rabbinic secret. Each year before Yom Kippur, rabbis send an e-mail, asking a simple question: “Has anyone compiled a list of notable deaths for the past year?”...

A woman proudly hung on her mantelpiece a plaque that read, “Prayer Changes Things.” A few days later, the plaque was missing from its place. The woman asked her husband if he had seen it. “I took it down, I...