Sometimes people who feel they are on the margin of Jewish community because they don’t belong to a synagogue believe that there is not much available for them to do. Wrong! Every week I send out a list of random activities that ANYONE can attend. Here’s a list for the coming weeks. Of course there…
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Avoid Senseless Hatred
I feel very strongly that we need to teach compassion for our fellow Jews and to avoid sinat chinam (senseless hatred). Many Jews condemn other Jews, citing internalized anti-Semitism, in-group elitism and the unpleasant practice of figuring out whether a person is Jewish or Jewish-enough. I think it is important to stimulate compassion for the…
Read More »Apologies, Forgiveness & Forgetting – are they all good?
“The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest.” This statement, from Rabbi Ken Cohen, is truly worth considering Apologize? I know people who can’t get the words, “I’m sorry” out of their mouths. They sometimes will say, “I’m sorry if I…
Read More »A Time to Grieve and A Time to Act
Many synagogue congregants are receiving emails from their clergy about the tragedy in Orlando. I am confident that many church members are getting similar messages. I share with you the one that Peninsula Temple Sholom‘s clergy, Rabbi Dan Feder, Rabbi Lisa Delson, Rabbi Molly Plotnik and Cantor Barry Reich. **** Over the weekend, the Jewish…
Read More »Happy Pride Month!
Thanks to Keshet for this lovely sign. I don’t have a huge amount of data about LGBT Jewish couples, but I do have the results of a survey done a few years ago of the East Bay LGBT Jewish population. Of the LGBT Jews in relationships 89% were in an interfaith relationship. If you didn’t…
Read More »2016 Community Seders
Typically the first night of Passover (Pesach) involves a family Seder at home. But there are some places where there are community Seders for those who don’t have a family to invite. Second night community Seders have become very common at synagogues and there are lots of them! If you don’t see what you need…
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