Rabbi’s Turn (Page 9)

By Rabbi James L. Mirel , Temple B’nai Torah There is a passage in our Reform Jewish liturgy that states: “We are an ancient people well acquainted with sorrow.” The last part is, sadly, an understatement. But is the first phrase accurate? I am not referring to those revisionists whoContinue Reading

By Rabbi Salomon Cohen-Scali, Congregation Ezra Bessaroth The Hebrew word machloket — dissension — contains the verbal roots halak and met. The first one means to divide and the second one means death. I always believe in the powerful message that is intrinsic to the words that make up theContinue Reading

By Rabbi Alan Cook, Temple De Hirsch Sinai In 1955, the husband-and-wife songwriting team of Sy Miller and Jill Jackson wrote a song about their desire for world peace and what they believed individuals could do to bring their dream to fruition. They decided to teach their new work toContinue Reading

By Rabbi Zari M. Weiss, Rodef Tzedek This past summer, on a stunningly beautiful day, I went to Ellis Island. I had been there many years ago, but had not seen it since it had been remodeled in 1990. The exhibits there powerfully depict the experiences of many of theContinue Reading

By Rabbi Levi Backman, Chabad of Whatcom County “My Lord, do not pass from before Your servant.” — Genesis 18:3 Our sages explain the above verse as Avraham addressing God Himself, asking Him to wait while Avraham welcomed his guests — the angels he saw passing by in the desert.Continue Reading

By Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation In my summer visit to Washington, D.C., I began to reflect on the parallels between American and Jewish history. Both civilizations have seen their ideas evolve over time. American freedom has taken shape in stages. In 1789 came the revolutionary idea ofContinue Reading

By Rabbi Michael Adam Latz, Kol HaNeshamah Progressive Congregation Jewish tradition teaches us of the importance of t’shuvah, turning our lives anew toward God and asking forgiveness for the wrongs we have committed. Our Yom Kippur liturgy teaches that for transgressions against the Eternal One, we are forgiven. But forContinue Reading

By Rabbi Jill Borodin, Congregation Beth Shalom How does one prepare for the High Holy Days? Cooking, shopping, buying new clothes, extending invitations, sending cards, wishing shana tova. And on a spiritual level, how do we prepare? Our daily morning prayers offer us guidance. At the end of services forContinue Reading

By Rabbi Mordechai Farkash, Congregation Beis Menachem – Lubavitch As any good homeowner knows, it’s not the little boxes with the flashing lights that protect your home. It’s the police station. You just need to make sure those little boxes are properly connected. A mezuzzah on your doorpost works muchContinue Reading

By Rabbi David Fine, Union for Reform Judaism The Jewish traditions and rituals surrounding the greatest of our joys — birth, reaching adulthood, marriage — are in and of themselves transformative. They give us a structure around which we celebrate. While the parents of a newborn may be exhausted, extendedContinue Reading

By Rabbi Bernie Fox, Northwest Yeshiva High School Every year I have the honor and pleasure to deliver a charge to the Northwest Yeshiva High School graduating class. I appreciate the opportunity to share this year’s message with the JTNews readership. The message deals with both the challenges our youngContinue Reading

By Rabbi Cindy Enger, Congregation Beth Israel, Bellingham Regarding Torah, the Mishna reminds us, “Turn it and turn it again; everything is in it.” As Jews, we are invited into relationship with Torah — to receive it, engage with it, be impacted and opened by its richness and complexity. WeContinue Reading

By Rabbi Sholom Ber Levitin, Congregation Shaarei Tefilah-Lubavitch Recently in a class discussing the concept of “Mishloach manot ish l’rayayhu,” the exchanging of food gifts, part of the tradition of Purim, the topic of what exactly is “l’rayayhu,” loosely translated as “friend,” was discussed. What is friendship? Jewish tradition andContinue Reading

By Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg, Temple B’nai Torah Driving north today on I-405, I looked over at a car next to me and read these words on a bumper sticker: “Maybe the hokey pokey is what it’s all about.” “Love it,” I thought to myself. Now this is a clever bumperContinue Reading

By Rabbi Simon Benzaquen, Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation It is so wonderful to have the privilege of reaching grandparenthood. One reason is that it gives us a sense of accomplishment that we have reached yet another milestone in our life when our sons and/or daughters have created dividends for us,Continue Reading

By Rabbi Seth Goldstein, Temple Beth Hatfiloh Upon receiving change recently I noticed one of the coins I was handed was the bicentennial quarter — the quarter issued in 1976 to celebrate America’s bicentennial. A drum-playing patriot and a flame surrounded by 13 stars had replaced the bald eagle onContinue Reading

By Rabbi Ted Falcon, Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue I remember the story that was told when I was in rabbinical school about the two student rabbis who went out to interview for a job at the same synagogue. The first was to speak on Friday evening, and the second onContinue Reading

By Rabbi Anson Laytner, American Jewish Commitee My colleague and friend, Rob Jacobs, executive director of the Pacific Northwest chapter of the Anti-Defamation League, leaned over to me the other day and asked: “Are you getting calls about your participation in the interfaith dialogue on the Mideast that appeared inContinue Reading

By Rabbi Solomon Cohen-Scali, Congregation Ezra Bessaroth Last year, the two Sephardic synagogues in Seattle organized two Shabbatonim around the theme of “Sephardic Response to Modern Challenges.” The Shabbatonim were a great success — over 200 people attended on each occasion and the lectures and discussion sparked the interest ofContinue Reading