Rabbi’s Turn (Page 4)

By Rabbi Zari Weiss, Kol HaNeshamah On January 4, 2012, I had the privilege of participating in an historic event at the state capitol, when Governor Christine Gregoire announced she would introduce legislation to ensure marriage equality for all people in Washington State. It was exciting and moving to beContinue Reading

By Rabbi David Fine, Union for Reform Judaism Years ago I passed a signboard whose message has remained with me. “Religion is what happens after the sermon.” Simple and powerful. We are at the tail end of Passover. The rituals of the seder are behind us — or are they?Continue Reading

By Rabbi Ben Aaronson, BCMH Capitol Hill Minyan If you look at a glass of wine closely enough, you will see the entire universe. —Richard Feynman, Nobel Laureate physicist The Passover seder is one of the most widely observed religious services. It recounts the Jewish people’s socio-political progression from slaveryContinue Reading

By Rabbi Cindy Enger , Congregation Beth Israel Several weeks ago, I traveled to New Jersey. I journeyed across the country from Bellingham to Princeton University to deliver the memorial address at the annual Service of Remembrance, which is part of each year’s Alumni Day schedule of events. It isContinue Reading

By Rabbi Sholom Ber Levitin, Chabad-Lubavitch of the Pacific Northwest, Congregation Shaarei Tefillah-Lubavitch It was the summer of 2008, on a Shabbos afternoon in Brooklyn, New York, in the Hebrew month of Elul. It was the Shabbos before the yahrtzeit of my paternal grandfather Zeida Shmuel. I always make aContinue Reading

By Rabbi Daniel A. Septimus, Temple De Hirsch Sinai A seasoned Jewish educator at a large Reform congregation once asked his religious school parents about their most meaningful Jewish childhood experiences. Without a doubt, attending Jewish camp was at the top of the list. There is no question that oneContinue Reading

By Rabbi Rob Toren, Samis Foundation Much has been written lately in these pages about Professor Martin Jaffee’s final (alas!) column, his and the editor’s apologies, letters of praise and castigation. One letter inspired me to look into our traditional Jewish sources, providing a “teachable moment,” an opportunity to learnContinue Reading

By Rabbi Sarah Newmark, Congregation Beth Hatikvah Several weeks ago, I received an email from husband/wife rabbi friends announcing the arrival of their firstborn child, a son, after many years of disappointment. The proud father wrote, “We honor the miracle of IVF and thank God for the miracle of childbirthContinue Reading

By Rabbi Jonathan Singer, Temple Beth Am A few weeks ago, I found myself in an unlikely place: The Bavarian city of Bamberg, in the medieval cathedral of that German town which avoided significant damage during World War II. The cathedral guide proclaimed that among the treasures of the churchContinue Reading

By Rabbi Seth Goldstein , Temple Beth Hatfiloh On November 28, the first day of the special session of the Washington State legislature, I had the honor of delivering the invocation in the House. This special session is called to deal specifically with the budget issues facing the state. IContinue Reading

By Rabbi Moshe Kletenik, Congregation Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath The recent revelations concerning allegations of deeply disturbing acts at Penn State University focus attention on the difference between technical legal requirements and moral obligations. The laws in Pennsylvania are less rigorous than those of most states concerning mandated reporting. SomeContinue Reading

By Rabbi Olivier BenHaim , Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue A surprising turn of events happens in next week’s Torah portion, Chayei Sarah. We read: “Abraham breathed his last and died in good ripe age, old and satisfied, and was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried himContinue Reading

By Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg , Temple B’nai Torah The other morning I checked in with my 60-something-year-old mother. She seemed very tired. “I was up all night,” she told me. “I did not sleep at all.” When I asked her why she did not sleep her response was simple: “IContinue Reading

By Rabbi Simon Benzaquen , Sephardic Bikur Holim While shopping at the pharmacy last week, I couldn’t help notice they were selling home security cameras. These cameras are to be installed outside of one’s home to monitor any activity day and night for security purposes. Some cameras were expensive andContinue Reading

By Rabbi Mark S. Glickman , Congregations Kol Ami and Kol Shalom In late February 1946, Captain Seymour Pomrenze of the United States Army rode in a Jeep through Frankfurt, Germany. A blizzard howled through the city, and through the snow, Pomrenze could see bullet-ridden walls and the bombed-out remainsContinue Reading

By Rabbi Harry Zeitlin , Congregation Beth Ha’Ari The Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto), the 18th-century Kabbalistic master, begins his classic, Derech HaShem, The Way of God, with this statement: “Kol ish m’Yisrael tzarich sh’ya’amin v’yeda.” “Every Jew needs to believe and to know….” He completes this with a strikinglyContinue Reading

By Rabbi Beth Singer , Temple Beth Am One of the privileges of synagogue membership is that, in addition to vibrant services and life-long Jewish study, the synagogue is a place members often turn to with personal problems. In any given week, congregants sit with me and talk about theirContinue Reading

By Rabbi Jaron Matlow , Congregation B’nai Torah Before I was a rabbi, I was a career Navy officer. I am also a veteran on total disability. With this part of what defines me, one thing I do is volunteer as a pastoral counselor and benefits advocate at the DisabledContinue Reading

By Rabbi Bruce Kadden, Temple Beth El I have just returned from spending a week on the faculty of Camp Kalsman, the regional Union for Reform Judaism camp, culminating with the camp’s fifth anniversary celebration. The opportunity to spend a week at camp has been one of the highlights ofContinue Reading