My colleague, Rabbi Aliza Berk of the Bay Area Healing Center, poignantly illuminates the lessons that the festival of Sukkot bring to bear on the fragility we all are feeling during this economic crisis and recession: Now we are celebrating the Fall harvest and pilgrimage festival of Sukkot; and the focus of the holiday shifts …
Somehow Or Ami became invested in the sacred work of helping foster kids. It happened slowly. A project here, a program there. Suddenly our calendar was filled with activities aimed at helping care for children who, removed from their homes to escape neglect or abuse, would really appreciate the support of people with extra love …
Tashlich, the ceremony at the beach in which we throw breadcrumbs to symbolically cast away our sins, is powerful symbolism. But the real work of teshuva (literally, “turning” but easily understood as cleaning up your life) is more complex and time consuming. Jewish tradition teaches that we need to engage in the process of teshuva …
One of the most frustrating, yet life-altering crises we face as a nation is the Health Care Crisis. I spoke about it on Rosh Hashana morning. Click here to read my Health Care Conversations sermon.
A few years ago, our then Rabbinic Intern, now Rabbi Alissa Forrest, gave a sermon on Erev Rosh Hashana about forgiveness, which focused on forgiveness for particularly aggregious sins. In it, she quoted Rabbi Harold Kushner (author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People): One year, my Yom Kippur sermon was on the theme …
A new Israeli invention is helping paralyzed people walk again. Something of a mix between the exoskeleton of a crustacean and the suit worn by comic hero Iron Man, the device, called ReWalk, helps paraplegics—people paralyzed below the waist—to stand, walk and climb stairs. One of these new ReWalk users is former Israeli paratrooper Radi …
We keep selling out tickets at Or Ami. Membership is growing. Seating is limited. HHD services are musical and meaningful. SO when I saw this video, I had to laugh. [Note that there are one or two inappropriate words in it]. Enjoy:
We rabbis offer support and counseling to people through the many transitions in life. I recently received this from someone who years ago called me for help: Coming out in my 50s was painful in the extreme, but having emerged at the other end of a prolonged coming out process, I am so grateful that …
Gotta love being Jewish. Seems like we are on the forefront of most significant (peaceful) movements that change the world. Jews are all over the Green movement (see COEJL among others). Now we come to realize that Jews have long promoted one of the most Green, Wireless Communications technologies ever: The Shofar. JTA, in Seeing …
A favorite blog, Ima on (and off) the Bima, offered these 13 ideas of how to commemorate 9/11. Attend a ceremony. We will be at the flagpole at Am Shalom, 840 Vernon Avenue, in Glencoe, at 7:45am. Give blood. Donate money to a political campaign. Any campaign. Being able to participate freely in the democratic …
Amazing people do amazing things to transform themselves and the world. My congregants Jeff and Kellie Singer support Shane’s Inspiration, an organization which works to create Universally Accessible Playgrounds and programs that integrate children of all abilities socially, physically and emotionally, fostering acceptance, friendship and understanding. They helped vision Calabasas’ Brandon’s Village. Jeff and Kellie …
Editor Rob Eshman, in the Jewish Journal, wrote Joon, an explosively honest essay about the integration of the Persian Jewish community into the LA Jewish community. Wrote he: For as long as I’ve worked in the Jewish community — 14 years — I’ve heard insults leveled at Iranian Jews. They’re pushy, acquisitive, flashy, nouveau riche, …
We brought our older to kids to see Jack Johnson in concert at UCLA. The first concert for both. We all love Johnson’s music. We listen to him at home, in the car, everywhere. But as wonderful as it was to hear him play live, the best part – hands down – was being with …
The mitzvah (responsibility) of halvayat hamet (literally “accompanying our dead to their final resting place”) does not end when the deceased’s body is placed in the ground. Rather it continues until the mourners can walk forward into life with some semblance of confidence and strength. Our tradition reminds us that this is a long process, …