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By Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum, Kavana Cooperative Although the month of Elul is my busy season as a rabbi, I really love this time of year. For me, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are accompanied by meaningful customs, beautiful melodies, and a sense of new possibility. For a number of myContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz, West Seattle Torah Learning Center I’m a story junkie. As a child I was always an avid reader and I haven’t lost my love of sinking my teeth into a good book. Unfortunately today, it’s not as easy to find the spare moments to indulge inContinue Reading

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By Rabbi James L. Mirel , Temple B’nai Torah The Book of Jonah (read as the Haftarah on Yom Kippur afternoon) is a constant source of wisdom and insight. Like every great work of literature, it can be read over and over again, always with new discoveries and insights. TheContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Alan Cook, Temple De Hirsch Sinai Last year, Temple De Hirsch Sinai undertook a precious task. For the first time in our congregation’s history, we wrote a brand new Torah. This was a significant undertaking, and we opted to make it an educational opportunity for our community: RatherContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Levi Backman, Chabad of Whatcom County On June 20, Jews around the world will commemorate 68 years since the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushkah, arrived in the U.S. in the midst of World War II. Additionally, June 25 corresponds to “GimmelContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum , Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation when God spoke the words of the Ten Commandments to our entire people at Mount Sinai. The most frequently asked question in Jewish life today is: “Why doesn’t God speak to us like that now?” We say: “If only we hadContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Michael Adam Latz, Kol HaNeshamah For the past nine years, Seattle has been home. My eyes gaze toward the majesty of Mt. Rainier, the beauty of the Puget Sound, the graciousness of the people whom I’ve encountered along the way. I came here alone from New York City,Continue Reading

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By Rabbi David Fine, Union for Reform Judaism If Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the time when we search for answers, then Passover is the time when we seek questions. Isidor I. Rabi, the Nobel Laureate in physics, was once asked, “Why did you become a scientist rather thanContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Will Berkovitz, Hillel at the University of Washington My grandmother escaped from Russia hiding under a pile of hay in a horse- drawn wagon. At the border, men with pitchforks stabbed into it, attempting to thwart any stowaways. At least this once they didn’t succeed, and she andContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Bernard Fox, Northwest Yeshiva High School I have stopped watching television news. I carefully select the articles I read on the Web. As I drive to school, I constantly change from one radio news channel to another. I barely read the newspaper. I am overwhelmed and fatigued fromContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Cindy Enger, Congregation Beth Israel, Bellingham As the Jewish holiday of Purim approaches, we may find ourselves musing about who we will be this year on our annual day of costumes, carnivals, spoofs and silliness. In our synagogues, we will read from Megillat Esther or tell its storyContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Mordechai Farkash, Director, Eastside Torah Center I am one of 17 children (Thank God) and most of us, except for perhaps one or two, have only one name. Once I asked my mother, “Mama, why did you only give us one name? Most of my friends have atContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Jill Borodin, Congregation Beth Shalom This Shabbat, February 6—7, we will celebrate a special Shabbat: Shabbat Shirah, the Sabbath of Song. Shabbat Shirah’s name comes from the reading of the Song of the Sea, sung by Moses and the children of Israel after crossing the Red Sea, inContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Shalom Ber Levitin, Congregation Shaarei Tefillah — Lubavitch, Regional Director, Chabad of the Pacific Northwest I will always remember Rosh Chodesh, Kislev 5769 — Friday, November 28, 2008 — as we all tried to process the traumatic events that shook the whole world with the terrorist attacks inContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg, Temple B’nai Torah This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, said the Lord of hosts. Whoever you are, O great mountain in the path of Zerubbabel, turn into level ground! For he shall produceContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Rob Toren, Samis Foundation A few weeks ago, I was privileged to see a wonderfully rich film about the life and teachings of Rabbi Yosef B. Soloveitchik. The film was presented by the Seattle Hebrew Academy with support from Marty Selig — thank you to both! Rabbi SoloveitchikContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Jonathan Singer, Temple Beth Am As I looked up at the beautifully appointed sign posted on Denny Way in downtown Seattle, I could not help but think of the 1970 hit song — “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign/Do this, don’t do that. Can’t you read the sign!” TheContinue Reading