This week at Congregation Beth Tikvah we’ll celebrate the sabbath with a Last Blast of Summer Ice Cream Sundae Oneg Shabbat on Friday evening. Then, Saturday morning, we’ll announce the new month of Elul. Monday morning we’ll sound the shofar on Rosh Hodesh Elul. The following Monday is Labor Day; just three weeks before Rosh Hashanah, we’ll wrap up summer 2025. It’s been a busy season, with moving and settling into a new … Read more
I’m a bit wrecked at the moment—anxious, nervous, worried—as I lie awake in bed thinking about the needle that will be inserted into my back tomorrow. My rational self knows this will bring me relief from pain. She understands this procedure has helped many who suffer from similar ailments and knows many women who have enjoyed pain-free labor and delivery thanks to an epidural. She recognizes this procedure will be brief in … Read more
This week, from the eve of Tu B’Shevat, late Wednesday into the early hours of the morning on Thursday, until late afternoon in Donna’s Zoom Room, I wrote. Feverishly, in the messiest of script, I wrote blog posts and responses to poetry prompts, filling my journal with fragments of ideas. Only occasionally during this holiday of the trees did I stop thinking about the brokenness of our natural world and the grief … Read more
Please forgive me. It appears my absence from social media left some of you wondering where I am. I’m in New Jersey, serving as the rabbi of Congregation Beth Tikvah (CBT) in Marlton. I’ve just started my fifth month of what I hope will be five years of dedicated service in the House of Hope. The community is lovely and we’re making great strides forward as we enter the new year of … Read more
Despite being a GenXer and spending plenty of time teaching teenagers, I’ve never been an early adopter of new technology. I’m especially wary of the computerized bells and whistles in my vehicle—more things that can break and require costly repairs. However, I’ve come to appreciate one safety feature in my new car: Adaptive Cruise Control. At first I wasn’t sure I wanted to use this feature on Evesboro-Medford Road. I didn’t feel … Read more
I’m pleased to share two of my sermons from the High Holidays: The sermon I delivered on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, “Happy Families Forgive,” was posted on The Wisdom Daily website in their High Holiday sermon series, featuring sermons by alumni of Clal’s clergy training programs. My Yom Kippur morning sermon, “Don’t Detach From Community,” which will soon be posted at my congregation’s website, is shared below. As I prepare … Read more
On this Juneteenth, I share with you a d’var torah that I shared with Congregation Beth Tikvah in Marlton, NJ three months ago. I was interviewing for the position of rabbi there on Shabbat Zakhor, the sabbath when we read a portion from the Torah instructing us to remember how the Amalekites attacked the Israelites after they were freed from slavery in Egypt. But first I’ll share this message from Rabbi Sandra … Read more
To learn more about the sculpture Exode and the artist Sandrine Plante, check out this video on YouTube (select CC subtitles & select French to English).
It’s been a little more than a week since I had the good fortune to attend a concert at Byers Theatre in Sandy Springs, and just one week since I wrote a poem about the experience. This morning, when I learned that poetry class wouldn’t be meeting, I decided to spend a little time revisiting the memories that Itzhak Perlman’s performance evoked while revising the poem. I share it with you and … Read more
There’s no Spiritual Poetry Writing class today. Donna usually takes a week off between workshop series, and who could blame her? She works tirelessly to create a safe and supportive space in the Zoom room for us poets. We pour out our heartache and joy into words, 10 minutes at a time, and then we share. I am comforted when I’m not the only one who struggles to decipher her scribbled cursive. … Read more