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 […]
Ki Tissa 5783 Ex. 30:11 – 34:35 Rabbi Baht Weiss When do we lower the veil? At the end of Exodus 34, Moses has come down from Mount Sinai with the second set of tablets. In that moment something unexpected happens. “Moses was not aware that the skin of his face was radiant, since he […]
Purim 5783 Megilat Esther Rabbi Gary Pokras Purim is unique among all the Jewish holidays. One might think it is because we are commanded to drink to abandon, until we are so drunk, we cannot tell the difference between Haman and Mordechai. Or it could be the many delicious Hamantaschen we enjoy, or humorous and […]
