Parashat Vayetzei: Ascending Jacob's Ladder
This parasha invites us to witness a very special process: that of how a complicated, intricate, and twisted individual in their...
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Nov 17, 2023
Parashat Toldot: A Way out of Violence
And this is the lineage of Isaac, son of Abraham; Abraham fathered Isaac. (Genesis 25:19) Thus begins Parashat Toldot, which will delve...
Nov 9, 2023
Parashat Chayei-Sarah: Leaving an Imprint on the Lives of Others
"They were Sarah's days..." That's how this Parasha begins, with an enigmatic start, contradicting the Parasha's name, "The Lives of...
Nov 4, 2023
Parashat Vayera: Finding the Humanity Within All of Us
Every time we reread this Torah portion, I find myself pondering a recurring question, especially in these times. I'm not a fan of...
Nov 1, 2023
Who owns the Holy Land?
Once again, vivid memories flood my mind as I write for the Temple Times. Almost beautiful memories, like those we experienced during the...
Oct 27, 2023
Parashat Lech Lecha: Finding the Strength to Thrive
Parashat Lech Lecha offers us a profound and transformative perspective. The phrase "Go from your land, from your birthplace, from your...
Oct 18, 2023
Parashat Noach: We Are Our Brother's Guardians
Parashat Noach encompasses two prominent stories; two stories that have always stayed with us in memory. The first, of course, is the...
Oct 13, 2023
Parashat Bereshit: Our Responsibility to Israel as Jews
We have always been a people with a religion and a long tradition of taking responsibility. Responsible for the world around us, for our...
Oct 9, 2023
Statement Condemning Recent Attacks Against Israel
Members of Temple Beth El of Utica strongly condemn the savage attacks carried out by extremist fanatics from the terrorist organization...
Oct 8, 2023
An important year ahead
I am writing these lines as the melodies and words of the prayers of Yamim Noraim (High Holy Days) confront our conscience with the...
Oct 5, 2023
Parashat Shemini Atzeret: Counting the Mitzvot
How many mitzvot are there? I am not referring to how many we fulfill or should fulfill, as some argue that there are mitzvot related to...
Sep 28, 2023
Parashat Shabbat Sukkot: The Tradition of Sharing Your Dwelling
It is the first night in the sukkah, and what better way to celebrate than also observing Shabbat? The book of Vayikra (Leviticus) says:...
Sep 21, 2023
Parashat Ha'azinu: We are a People of Music
A Hasidic tale recounts that when the Baal Shem Tov sensed that a calamity was approaching for his people, he would retreat to a place in...
Sep 14, 2023
Parashat Rosh Hashanah: The Two Beings Who Live Inside All of Us
תִּקְע֣וּ בַחֹ֣דֶשׁ שׁוֹפָ֑ר בַּ֜כֶּ֗סֶה לְי֣וֹם חַגֵּֽנוּ Sound the shofar on the New Moon, on the appointed time for the day of our...
Sep 7, 2023
Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech: The Torah is not in the Heavens
Lo Bashamaim hi. The Torah is not in the heavens. The Talmud illustrates this with a story we have shared before, the story of Taanuro...
Aug 31, 2023
Parashat Ki Tavo: To Whom Do We Owe Our Successes?
"And when you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, you shall take...
Aug 24, 2023
Parashat Ki Tetzei: A Love that Lasts
Have you ever experienced loving in an irrational way? I mean those loves that burst into your life and take over your body, your soul,...
Aug 17, 2023
A path toward coexistence
I still have the images in my mind of the beautiful celebration at Temple Beth El for my rabbinical ordination. Interestingly, what...
Aug 17, 2023
Parashat Shoftim: Even a King Must Be Humble
Once again, the Torah places us in a situation where it recommends, instructs, and guides us on the path of humility. It's challenging to...
Aug 10, 2023
Parashat Re'eh: Rising Up Out of Suffering
“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God that I am...
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