“Don’t stack the dirty dishes,” Donna taught, “There is no reason to have to clean both sides.” I looked over to my wife and smiled. This was one of those mini-arguments we’ve been having all our marriage, and now, an 88-year-old woman took my side. One couldn’t easily ignore the wisdom of Donna. She was …
7 Things about Israel All Reform Jews Should Be Able to Agree Upon
I have been thinking about Israel a lot, especially since the dust up (mostly manufactured) regarding President Obama’s speech and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speeches. It seems so easy to resort to slogans, to create controversy too, instead of facing the challenges and finding solutions. Rabbi Fred Guttman, recently returning from AIPAC convention, suggests 7 things …
Counting the Blessings – Kvell, don’t Kvetch
Gathering at Michelle’s home, we enjoyed a delicious brunch and we got down to work. Fifteen of us, enjoying Brunch with the Rabbi, were about to engage in one of the most important acts a Jew (or any person) can do. One at a time, we each shared a “kvell,” something in our lives at …
Stop the Rape
Ever wonder why rape is so prevalent in the Congo? One rape every 45 seconds? Listen in to this excerpt from the HBO documentary, The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo. Then go to Jewish World Watch to figure out how you can help stop the rape.
Memorial Days Past: Remembering Operation Solomon
Article by eJewish Philanthropy Over Memorial Day weekend, 1991, 14,325 Ethiopian Jews fulfilled their dreams of making it home, as they were airlifted from Ethiopia to Israel in 36 hours of around the clock flights during a covert military operation known as Operation Solomon. At the time, the sitting government of Mengistu Haile Mariam was …
New Visions of Jewish Community
Once again, Congregation Or Ami has been held up as an example of meaningful, visionary Jewish community. We kvell! What makes a community uniquely compelling, such that people strive to be part of it? This question consumes the attention of so many in the American Jewish world, as our numbers and rates of affiliation declines …
Rabbi Eric Yoffie: The Impact of Storms at Home and in Israel
Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, wrote to leaders of all our congregations to share perspectives on The Impact of Storms at Home and in Israel. He addresses the devastating weather, as well as the damaging political fights erupting over President Obama’s speech and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s response. Please take a …
Rapture: Some Ridicule and A Jewish Response (Thanks to Ty Templeton)
I was enchanted with the Rapture that didn’t happen on May 21st. My Rapture tweets have made me giggle at myself. While we Jews have had a whole host of off-the-wall messianic pretenders, except for the ridiculous notion that the former Lubavitcher Chabad Rebbe Schneerson is the messiah, it has been a while since we …
Finding Balance Again: 7 Balancing Strategies
As I walked into Trader Joe’s for my weekly shopping, a sadness descended. I realized that I would no longer bump into our congregant as I did most weeks. She had died suddenly last week, leaving a husband and two teens. Funny, we didn’t speak much at Trader Joe’s. Just a “hello” and an inquiry …
On Sunday I was Kissed by a Stranger
Torah commands to feed the hungry, the widow, the orphan and the stranger. Congregation Or Ami partners with other churches and synagogues to provide hot meals and a warm smile for those in need. Fariba Cooper, chair of this project for the past few years, shares this powerful experience with us: It has been a …
When the Responsibilities of Being a Rabbi Begin to Overwhelm
On Monday, I felt the weight of it all begin to seep under my skin. It happens sometimes when the responsibilities of being a rabbi begin to overwhelm. Perhaps that’s just what happens after exhausting weekends like this. Maybe it was the great number of simchas (joyous occasions) to celebrate… Of course it might just …
From a Tube of Toothpaste, I Fell in Love Again
Late one night, I discovered a new tube of Crest Toothpaste sitting on the counter next to my sink. It was the sweetest gift I ever got. And I fell in love all over again. You may ask, “What’s the connection between a $5.68 tube of toothpaste and love?” It’s elementary, my dear Watson. The …
A Rabbi, A Priest and a Minister Walked into a Bar…
My day was the beginning of a great joke: A rabbi, a priest, and a minister walked into a bar and ordered drinks … except it wasn’t a bar, we didn’t order drinks, and instead of just a rabbi, priest and minister, more than a dozen religious leaders gathered together. I was attending my first-ever …
Omer Day 20: Making it Through Transitions
Today is day 20 of the Omer, that’s 2 weeks and 6 days into the journey from Egypt to Sinai, from the moment we left the dark places to the time we received the instruction (Torah) which gave us direction. I imagine what it was like to be an Israelite during that journey. Clear that …
Blasphemers No More: Parashat Emor Commentary
Published in the Jewish Journal of Greater LA. My sister just touched down in Israel. I can feel her elation way over here in California. Time stood still; there was silence. The land and the woman were one. She had returned home. My sister made aliyah 22 years ago, with her then-husband and 1-year-old daughter. …