“Be a blessing.” That’s God’s instruction to Abram in Genesis 12. Whenever I read these words or think of this teaching, I think of Rabbi Alvin Sugarman. Many years ago he and I were part of a rabbinic panel at
6th Grade Tefilah Bootcamp
At the start of every school year we take our 6th graders aside for some special Tefilah learning that helps them get ready to participate in Middle School Tefilah. I returned to my office after the first of these special
The Naivety of Hate- Tisha b’Av
Today’s Hebrew calendar date is the 9th of Av (Tisha b’Av). Tisha b’Av is a day of mourning. It commemorates the destruction of the 1st and 2nd Temples in Jerusalem. It commemorates other tragedies in Jewish history. There are
In Praise of Donkeys, Asses, and Mules
Recently, a rabbinic colleague shared a post that brought my attention to the following political cartoon: Clearly the cartoonist is taking a derogatory posture toward Reform Jews (as well as The Supreme Court of Israel). To be honest,
The source of trouble
Thank you to Brain Pickings for posting excerpts from Saul Bellows’ 1976 Prize Acceptance Speech. Here’s a quote that resonates: To find the source of trouble we must look into our own heads. Reading and reflecting on it now, it feels
Choosing Reform Judaism
Are you in the process of converting to Reform Judaism? Are you thinking about it? If so, I’d love to connect with you and hear your thoughts about this post. My wife, Rabbi Loren Filson Lapidus, and I love to
Ever-Living Word
The following was written in 1857 (in German) by one of the great intellectuals of the early Reform Movement, Abraham Geiger. Translation by Max Wiener: The Bible is now and has always been an ever-living Word, not a dead letter.
How we celebrate
Jewish tradition teaches, “Rejoice in your holy days, and may your holy days be joyous.” As it turns out, Judaism has dozens of words that are all synonyms for “celebrate.” Simcha, rina, ditza, oneg… These are just a few. We learn a
How we remember
How we remember says a lot about who we are– as individuals, as communities, as societies. This week marked Israel’s 67th Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day). The exact number of fallen soldiers and victims of terrorist attacks is read. Traditional prayers
Life doesn’t always make sense
This week my synagogue community laid to rest a beloved member of our congregation– Marcia. The last time I saw Marcia wasn’t at Temple, but at Trader Joe’s. I was on my way out with the kids and she was