We’re back from a wonderful Israel experience! Our first Congregation Torat El Israel trip was a great success. Each of us came back more politically, spiritually, and culturally aware of all that Israel means to us as individuals, and as part of am yisrael– the People of Israel. I am sure that I speak for Continue Reading »
In just two days a group of us will be traveling together on the first Congregation Torat El journey to Israel! With that in mind, I have two things that I would like to share with you today. Missing A Mezuzah?? Do You Want One?? 1. Taken from the verses in the V’ahavatah Continue Reading »
Tefilin-I cannot start my day without them. Thanks to my summers at Camp Ramah, I have been starting my day with tefilin for over twenty years, and they help me to invite God into my life each and every day. For those who are unfamiliar, tefilin are the small boxes containing verses from the Torah Continue Reading »
Last week I read a number of interesting articles about a variety of things happening in the Conservative Movement that I wanted to share with all of you. While each article is describing something different, I think that they all describe events that are overall positive for our movement. 1. These first two articles are Continue Reading »
Shalom everyone! As next Monday is Shavuot, here is a Friday Morning Message! We hope you will join us for Shavuot services throughout the weekend and our Shavuot Community Night of Study (and Cheescake) ! Click here for more information as we explore some of the ways in which we can access the joy, meaning, Continue Reading »
I am sure many of you can remember those small blue and white tin tzedakah boxes that JNF widely distributed for years (and maybe some of us even still have one!). While tzedakah remains a central priority of Jewish tradition and practice, what for years was the ultimate American symbol of tzedakah seems somewhat outdated Continue Reading »
This past week I was privileged to attend the Rabbinical Assembly convention in Atlanta. For those who are unfamiliar, the Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative/Masorti rabbis. The RA has over 1600 members who serve as congregational rabbis, educators, military and hospital chaplains, professors of Judaica and officers of communal service organizations throughout Continue Reading »
What do Jewish humor, Jesus and his disciples, and our journey through the desert to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah all have in common? They will each be discussed at the upcoming Scholar in Residence program this weekend! If you have not yet signed up, please e-mail Vickie Amron today at vickiea@torat-el.org or call Continue Reading »
It has been nearly one hundred years since the first Bat Mitzvah took place in Manhattan when Judith Kaplan Eisenstein, the daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, was called to the bima to read from a chumash on a Shabbat morning. Perhaps that is why I came across two different articles this week about the Bnei Continue Reading »
During Passover I came across a very interesting article in The Jewish Week written by Eric Herschthal that was addressing the following question: Can religion, especially Judaism, work if you don’t believe in the Big Guy upstairs? Below are some excerpts from the article The latest turn in the New Atheist debates can be summed Continue Reading »