Rabbi Larry Milder of Beth Emek in Pleasanton addressed this question in an email to his members. I like his very through answer and I’m sharing it with you here. Tallit in the Morning You walk into the synagogue for services and see a basket of tallitot, prayer shawls. Do you pick one up?…
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Dear Dawn: I’m the daughter of a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother who raised me with no religion. Finding my way into Judaism has been difficult and, at times, painful. My partner, Tom, was raised Christian and is now an atheist. While he has warm feelings for his church, he no longer belongs. When discussing how…
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There is nothing so satisfying as learning a new perspective on a story you thought you understood. This week I read Maggid Jhos Singer‘s drash/teaching on the Torah portion Korach (Numbers 16:1-18:32). This is the story of Korach and his rebellion against Moses in the Wilderness. I’ve heard it taught many times, but Jhos brought…
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Here it comes, the most celebrated Jewish holiday of all, Passover! Where and with whom will you have Seder? A few years ago a Jewish woman participating in a Passover cooking workshop said, “I have a question. We have lived in the bay area for a few years but no one invites us for Seder….
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Rabbi Milder of Beth Emek in Pleasanton sent out this delightful message to his congregants. I simply HAD to share it with you. There are so many great things in it. 1. There’s a lovely blessing to say at your Thanksgiving table. (Below in italics) 2. There’s the delightful learning about the meaning of a…
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When terrible things happen we want our spiritual leaders to find meaning in what seems meaningless. Rabbi Steve Chester recently sent this message to his congregation of Temple Israel. He leans more on actions than on faith. Maybe you feel that way also. The last few months have been very difficult ones for many of…
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