VaYak’heil/Pekudei – 5780 Exodus 35:1 –40:38 Let’s be honest. Most of us are scared. The COVID-19 virus is spreading rapidly, store shelves are emptying, the stock market is crashing, people are losing their jobs, and many of us are staying at home in an attempt to “flatten the curve” of the disease’s spread. And far […]
Ki Tissa – 5780 (On the COVID-19 Virus Crisis) Exodus 30:11 – 34:35 What do we do when we find ourselves in an ongoing, high-anxiety environment which is also a “reliable information desert”? This is the Wilderness we have found ourselves in as the COVID-19 virus has spread to become a worldwide pandemic. When we […]
ESTHER WAS A BIG LIAR!It’s true. In the Purim Megillah, Mordechai asks Esther to conceal her identity. As a matter of fact, some scholars believe that the heroin’s name, Esther, actually comes from the Hebrew word L’Haster – which means “to conceal.” And that she, and the rest of the story, were fabricated and/or was […]
It’s January as I write this column. I was part of a small group that recently went on a second scouting hike for our spring Temple Shabbat hike. The first scouting hike gave us some good ideas, but we did not hike part of the route we were considering for the next Temple hike. On […]
Tetzaveh – 5780 Exodus 27:20 – 30:10 This week’s Torah portion details the lavish vestments worn by the High Priest of Israel. His priestly garments included a special robe with pomegranates and bells (made of pure gold), a golden breastplate with 12 semi-precious stones set in it (one for each tribe of Israel), golden epaulettes […]
Health Policy Each child must submit a current Maryland State Department of Education Office of Child Care Health Inventory, including an immunization record indicating up-to-date required vaccinations, in order to attend school. Temple Beth Ami strongly encourages all children, parents and teachers to receive vaccinations against COVID-19 and Flu as recommended by the CDC. Montgomery […]
Terumah – 5780 Exodus 25:1 – 27:19 Can we find deeper meaning in the detailed specs of a tent design? You bet we can! Parashat Terumah details the plan for the mishkan, the Tent of Meeting which would house the Ark of the Covenant and the Divine Presence during the Forty Years of wandering through […]
Mishpatim – 5780 Exodus 21:1 – 24:18 If last week’s portion highlighted the big picture moment of the Ten Commandments, Mishpatim gets into the specifics of how to bring the values of Torah to life. Mishpatim, which means laws or statutes, contains no fewer than 53 separate commandments – more per square centimeter than any […]
Yitro – 5780 Exodus 18:1 – 20:23 The Oscars may have been on Sunday, but this week’s Torah portion contains the Ten Commandments – God’s block buster Revelation at Mount Sinai. Could it get any bigger than this? The Revelation at Sinai was the seminal moment where the people of Israel collectively encountered God. Or […]
