Tetzaveh – 5779 Exodus 27:20 – 30:10 Rabbi Arthur Lavinsky shares a story once told by Rabbi Sidney Greenberg about a time he brought a group of Kindergarteners into their synagogue sanctuary. Rabbi Greenberg pointed to the Ner Tamid and asked if any of the children could tell him what that was. One little go-getter […]
> …we are committed to create an embracing and accessible community Inclusion has always been an important value at Temple Beth Ami. I am always proud to see the diversity of our congregation, where people with both physical or mental disabilities are warmly welcomed in our congregation. Few people flinch when someone calls out during […]
Terumah – 5779 Terumah – 5779 Exodus 25:1 – 27:19 One of the remarkable characteristics of Toraitic law is that most of the 613 Commandments do not follow the “if – then” formula. “If – then” laws are far more common in the secular world, and most legal systems would not function well without them. […]
Yitro – 5779 Exodus 18:1 – 20:23 Over the past few years, a series of articles have been published in papers like the Globe and Mail, The Independent and the Huffington Post about a new concept that some people consider an attractive alternative to traditional marriage: a marriage or relationship contract. There are various terms, […]
BeShalach – 5779 Exodus 13:17 – 17:16 Finally! After hundreds of years of slavery, we escape Egypt – only to arrive at an impassable sea with Pharaoh’s chariots in fast pursuit. This was not exactly the kind of redemption Moses promised, and our people were stuck, overwhelmed with the sense that life was pressing in […]
Praying in the Woods I have always loved being outdoors, especially hiking in the woods. There’s something about being outdoors that I find spiritually fulfilling. One of the first gifts that I bought for Lynn – before we were married – was a backpack, so she can’t say she didn’t know what she was getting […]
Bo – 5779 Exodus 10:1 – 13:16 When did God put Torah in the Torah? In parashat Bo. This week the word “torah” (which means ‘teaching’ and/or ‘law’) is used for the very first time in the Torah, and under the strangest of circumstances. Parashat Bo describes one of the most intense times in Torah. […]
A Few Words About Israel (from the January 2019 Chadashot) Dear Friends, I am writing these words in mid-November. The pain of Pittsburgh is still raw as we mourn our loss and look to our own safety. At the same time, intense political turmoil in Israel has called the future of the current government into […]
