My earliest memory of prayer is my mother, of blessed memory, tucking me into bed with a kiss and the words of the Shema. To say that God is One, to know that this declaration of faith embraced me in the circle of love and belief of all Jewish souls who...

Noted Torah commentator Robert Adler observed that the Book of Deuteronomy (D’varim) is “… the most sustained deployment of rhetoric in the Torah.” D’varim (sayings or speeches), by virtue of its root association, sets the tone for a series...

Amid this week’s double parashah, Matot-Massei, there are 49 verses, a lot of detail, describing the 42 journeys of the Jewish people through the desert, to the Land of Israel. It is almost like reading the journal of an explorer, with specific details...

In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade as a national precedent for the right of women to choose whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term, 20 states have  passed legislation essentially revoking that right to choose....

As a teenager, I would sometimes (often) turn on the television while I enjoyed a post-school snack. At that time in human history, my options were to watch whatever show was on… or to dig through the cabinets in our living room, hoping that I would...

We are taught that our ancestor Joseph hid three treasures in Egypt. One was revealed to Korach; one to Antoninus, son of Asviros; and one was hidden away for the righteous in the world to come (Talmud, Pesachim 119a). I went searching for the third...

Following my transfer to a new elementary school in the fourth grade, I was offered the opportunity to play a musical instrument. Music had always been a huge part of my life, whether in synagogue, which I attended each Shabbat morning with my grandfather,...

In this week’s Torah portion, Shelach L’cha, the Israelites find themselves standing on the border of Eretz Yisrael, the land promised to their ancestors by God. After suffering for so long at the hands of the Egyptians, they will finally have a home...

Bedouins savor it thick and rich out of small ornate cups. Some like it black, while others must have cream and sugar. The adventurous will try one of the many flavored coffees available, while the purist would not hear of it. No matter how you enjoy...

The Book of Ruth, read on the festival of Shavuot, documents the story of a young Moabite woman named Ruth and her journey of faith and devotion. The book is set during the time of the Shoftim (judges), a period of instability and moral decline in ancient...

The priestly blessing found in next week’s parashah, Naso, is one that has been an important part of our people’s story for three millennia.   In the days when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the priests offered this blessing on behalf of G-d to...

Shavuot at B'nai Amoona May 25 - May 27 B'nai Amoona  Thursday, May 25 - Erev Shavuot 7:45 pm: Minchah/Ma'ariv 7:57 pm: Candle Lighting 8:10-8:55 pm: Study Session with Rabbi Abraham -"Active Listening: How Can We Hear Each Other Better?" ...