Right now the sun is out and I can hear birds singing. I’ve been thinking about what to say to you for a couple weeks. Shortly after Oct. 7th a friend gave me a bracelet with the name and age of one of the hostages – Itzhak Elgarat. I looked him up online. He had no…
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(Photo: Entryway to Beth Sholom) Rabbi Amanda Russell of Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco wrote an email to her congregants. She acknowledged their fears. Then she offered a small simple teaching that all of us can do. Look for her suggestion of how to help at the end of her letter. (Thank you Rabbi…
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(Photo of Israeli hostages in Gaza) I continue to be stunned by the growth of anti-Semitism in America and the swell of hatred towards Israel. Many synagogues are offering healing services, but for the first time in my life I hesitate to mention events and addresses lest they fall into the hands of local terrorists….
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“In the midst of our personal and collective grief, we are united in spirit and purpose.” My friends, I am struggling with what I can say to you. This is a terrible time. Israel is at war and has been invaded. Videos show the horror of kidnappings and killings. Each of us has our own…
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(Mt. Meron by Lior Golgher • ליאור גולגר – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2277766) Last night there was a tragedy in Israel, people were killed in a terrible accident in the midst of their celebration of Lag B’omer. Rabbi Larry Milder sent this message to his congregation. I want to point out to you…
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What do most Americans know about Jewish holidays? Typically – Hanukkah, Passover and… not much else. The three big holidays are the pilgrimage festivals. Cantor Linda Hirschhorn of Temple Beth Sholom in San Leandro wrote a lovely, brief description of them. Have a look. In Parshat Re’eh we are given a description of the…
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