Yom HaShoah 5783 Deut. 4:30-40 Rabbi Gary Pokras Emil Fackenheim, the noted 20th century Jewish philosopher and Reform rabbi, is most famous for positing what he called the 614th commandment. The holy torah contains 613 distinct commandments. Following the Shoah, Fackenheim felt the moral imperative to add another: “Thou shalt not hand Hitler posthumous victories. […]
Shemini 5783 Lev. 9:1 – 11:47 Rabbi Gary Pokras In parashat Shemini we read about the physical characteristics necessary for an animal to be kosher: it must have true hooves (with clefts) and it must chew its cud. Then, to make sure that we understand that both characteristics are necessary, the Torah gives us several […]
Click the Icon or Text Below for More Information Tues. May 210:30am Featuring Caron Dale – T’filah Writing Workshop Tues. May 27:15 PM RGB’s Brave and Brilliant Women by Nadine Epstein Wed. May 37:00 PM Meet with the Clergy and Experts in an Informal Environment to Ask Questions and Learn More Wed. May 37:30 PM […]
Passover Day 7 – 5783 Ex. 13:17 – 15:26 and Num. 28:19-25 Rabbi Gary Pokras We have spent the past seven days retelling the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Now as Pesach reaches its conclusion we read about “what happened next.” And it happened when Pharoah sent the people off that God did not […]
Passover Day 1 – 5783 Exodus 12:21-51, Numbers 28:16-25 Rabbi Baht Yameem Weiss On Rosh Chodesh Nisan, I was driving home from work, and I looked up at the sky and saw a beautiful crescent moon. It was striking. I remarked to myself how cool it is that both Judaism and Islam follow the lunar […]
Tzav (Shabbat HaGadol) 5783 Lev. 6:1 – 8:36 Rabbi Gary Pokras It is easy for contemporary Jews to get lost in the descriptions of the various sacrifices found in the opening chapters of the book of Leviticus. While the act of offering sacrifices may seem foreign to us, the underlying principles still resonate. A clue […]
Gan Ami Summer Program 2025 Key Facts and Important Details We are happily planning for a fun summer full of water, bubbles and so much more! The following are some of the activities that our Summer Program will include. We have designed days filled with safe, enjoyable, age-appropriate experiences for young children. Music with Miss Gina: For […]
VaYikra 5783 Lev. 1:1 – 5:26 Rabbi Gary Pokras In Hebrew, both the name of the book of Leviticus and its first parasha get their name from the first word in the text: VaYikra. VaYikra means “And He called.” Usually, the Torah uses two different verbs to describe how God communicated with Moses: VaYidaber or […]
National Voter Registration Day – September 27, 2023 Again this year, Community of Action will partner with other National Voter Registration Day sponsors to support making sure our democracy works. Here are a few facts that tell why this day is important: Over 4 million Americans will turn 18 and be eligible to vote this […]
VaYakhel/Pekudei (Shabbat HaChodesh) 5783 Ex. 35:1 – 40:38 Rabbi Gary Pokras This week’s double portion brings us to the conclusion of both the book of Exodus and the construction of the mishkan (the sacred tent which contained the ark, also called the Tent of Meeting and the Tabernacle). “When Moses had finished the work, the […]
