Category: Uncategorized
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Come as You Are
Recently you may have heard about the Pew study of American Jewry, which revealed many interesting details and trends among Jews. I’ve been slowly digesting both the report itself and the numerous commentaries written analyzing the report and its implications. In short, the report shows that many Jews identify strongly with Judaism and Jewish community.…
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Thanksgivukkah! (The Powerpoint)
For my community I summarized some of the calendar and astronomical issues that leads to the confluence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah this year. Here is the powerpoint I used… Thanksgivukkah!
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“Does a Zombie Rabbi Say Kaddish for Itself?”
“Does a zombie rabbi say Kaddish for itself?” This was the tongue-in-cheek observation from my son, fresh from his bar mitzvah, as we discussed Halloween. Would an undead rabbi recite the prayer for the dead for himself? Building on the trend that seems to have taken over public entertainment, I was musing about combining popular…
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Take Me Out…With a Story
Last week I traveled to Philadelphia to attend the board meeting of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, to which I was elected last March. I’m honored to serve my association, and that service brings me back east twice a year. While my schedule permits me only so much time to extend my trip either on the front end…
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God Tested Abraham. And Abraham Returned the Favor.
This week in our Torah reading cycle we come to parashat Vayera. While in the first couple of portions we have discrete stories being told each week-first about creation, then about Noah-and later in Genesis we will tell the Joseph saga over several weeks, this week’s portion is packed with several very dense and powerful…
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A Rabbi and His Cat
While making a slideshow for my son’s bar mitzvah, I found I had a lot of photos of me and our kitten Peanut. So I decided to make my own slideshow…
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Kol Nidre 5774: “Worry, and Be Happy–the Jewish Way of Happiness”
As you know, this year I turned 40 years old. And now that I am 40, I’ve come to realize and gain perspective on many things. And one of the many things I have realized since reaching this milestone, is that I suddenly realized why my parents listened to the “oldies” station growing up.
Rabbi 360 