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Remembering a Mystic, Scholar, Fire Starter…and Protester
Today is Lag B’Omer, the holiday of political agitation. How so? Well first a little background. To unpack this we need to reveal a few layers of meaning. A few weeks ago we celebrated Passover, the holiday when we mark the story of the Exodus and the ongoing narrative paradigm of oppression and liberation. And…
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A Prayer for the Jewish People
May the One who blessed our ancestorsAbraham and SarahIsaac and RebekahJacob and Rachel and LeahBilhah and ZilpahMoses, Aaron and MiriamDavid and SolomonRuth and Esther,Bless us Am YisraelThe Jewish people[here in this community and]Wherever they reside. Bless this nation ofGod-wrestlers.Bless this nation ofRabbis and rulersPoets and prophetsScribes and scholarsWoodchoppers and waterdrawers. Bless this nation thatFled from the…
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I’m on the “Today Show!”
In a surreal, sweet surprise, my social media was featured on the Today Show! You can check it out here, and follow me on Instagram or TikTok at @rabbi_360
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In Pursuit of Unity: Passover 5785
Tonight we begin the festival of Passover, the holiday that is both rich in its own meaning and symbolism and a paradigm to which we can apply our own meaning and symbolism. Ostensibly, Passover is both a commemoration of the story of the Israelite’s liberation from Egyptian slavery and a celebration of spring. Both of…
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Play Your Part. We Need You.
[Apologies: wrote this last week and neglected to post here!] A very common question many of us are asking these days is, what can I do? Well, I have an answer: you can do your part. At the end of the book of Exodus, which we read this past Shabbat, we read about the final…
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The Verse from the Book of Esther that is Giving Me Hope
Today is Purim, when we read the story of the biblical Book of Esther, also called megillat Esther, the scroll of Esther. It tells the story of Esther who, after initially hiding her Jewish identity, uses her proximity to power to subvert a plan to eliminate the Jewish population of the Persian Empire. The story…
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Warning Bells
Having discussed sacred structures in last week’s portion, the Torah this week turns to sacred fashion. After elaborately describing the materials and construction of the Tabernacle, the portable building that is to serve as the worship space and community center for the Israelites as they make their way through the desert, the Torah describes the…
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Safety is the Way to Holiness
“Make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them” These are the powerful words in the Torah this week that precedes a lengthy description of the Tabernacle, both the raw materials needed and the design for this structure. The Tabernacle will serve as the center for the Israelites in their journey to the Promised…
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A Jewish Prayer for Day of Remembrance
On this Day of Remembrance, We commemorate the Japanese interment We remember the 120,000 taken from their homes And placed in detention For no other reason than their heritage and identity. As Jews, we know what it is like to be Removed from our communities Stripped of our possessions Exiled to camps Treated as other…
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