People are often surprised and, to be fair, a little wary, when they learn the topic of my rabbinical thesis. While many of my classmates chose practical themes that would help them in their rabbinate, such as “Judaism in the Age of iPhones” or...
By Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, Kveller
• Published August 31, 2022
The month of Elul is here! It’s a time leading up to Rosh Hashanah when we have the opportunity to tune in to our spiritual concerns, reflect on our dreams and challenges over the year that’s gone by, and consider areas for change and growth...
At the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Moses has finally led the Israelites across the wilderness and he turns his eyes to gaze on the Promised Land. It seems as if it should be a joyous moment, but we know that it’s actually bittersweet,...
Betsy Schmidt, Special For The Jewish Light
• Published August 4, 2022
We have all been through so much these past 2 years. Not just Covid, but multiple mass shootings, racial and political tensions, the economy, and the destruction caused by changing weather patterns. Loss of life and place, loss of our daily life-patterns,...
CANTOR-RABBI RON EICHAKER
• Published August 4, 2022
In what many scholars, Robert Adler included, have observed, The Book of Deuteronomy (Devarim) is “…the most sustained deployment of rhetoric in the Torah”. If you go back to a previous article I wrote about the Book of Numbers, I framed this year’s...
RABBI JAMES STONE GOODMAN
• Published July 21, 2022
We are dreaming peace all the time now, the evidence of that broken letter vavin the word shalom of briti shalom, covenant of peace, in Numbers 25:12, that may be what's holding it up. The vav in shalom is broken.
Let's fix the vav in the...
MIMI DAVID, SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
• Published July 20, 2022
Yael was a recent college graduate looking for her first teaching job in Israel. She finally found a position she thought she would enjoy, teaching beginner Hebrew skills to new Israeli immigrants in an ulpan. Nervous but confident in her creative classroom...
I grew up mostly in California, and people often presume that I must have spent my whole life out communing with nature. In truth, I was never a big hiker, and I absolutely hated camping and boating.
As an adult, I still hate camping, but I have...
Cantor-Rabbi Ronald D. Eichaker
• Published June 30, 2022
Overheard at a store checkout line:
“Ya know, I can predict the score of the next Cardinals game before the first pitch.”
“You can make a ton of money betting on games. What’s the score?”
“Zero to zero.”
Let’s...
RABBI CARNIE SHALOM ROSE
• Published June 30, 2022
This week, we will once again be reading the Torah portion of Korach from the Book of Numbers. Named for the anti-hero and rabble-rouser of the tale, Korach — a cousin to Aaron, Moses and Miriam — this Parashah is one of the most intriguing and...
(JTA) — Norway’s Jewish community said it will petition the country’s Supreme Court unless observant Jews get more of their holidays recognized in the national calendar system.
The current law on national holidays, which was updated last year,...
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the opportunity to visit congregants at Jewish sleep-away camps is back in my summer plans. I am excited to have this opportunity return and see our children in such a wonderful, informal educational setting.
When...
