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Eikev 5779: From "Them" to "Us"

08/25/2019 02:23:51 PM

Aug25

There's an image that has made the rounds in recent months in Jewish spaces online. It's a still from an online video series that teaches basic Yiddish. As a sample sentence to demonstrate some grammatical point, it flashes the phrase, “the Jews are tired.” And boy, am I tired after this week. I'm tired of dealing with everything that comes with being a Jew in America in 2019. I'm tired of the low-grade anxiety I have every day that my...Read more...

Mas'ei 5779: Cities of Refuge

08/09/2019 03:04:41 PM

Aug9

This week, the attorney general announced a change in the interpretation in US asylum law. As you may know, under federal law, someone seeking asylum must prove a credible fear of persecution in his or her home country based on religion, race, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a specific social group. Since 1985, immigration courts, which are part of the Department of Justice, have interpreted “specific social group” to...Read more...

Mattot 5779: Family Ties

08/09/2019 03:03:42 PM

Aug9

I had the great pleasure a few months ago of reading this recent book, The Soul of the Stranger, by Joy Ladin. Joy Ladin is transgender; she was raised as a boy and as an adult came to realize and express her true identity as a woman, an excruciating process that upended her life and that of her family. Nonetheless, she was able to keep her job as an English professor at Stern College of Yeshiva University, making her the first openly...Read more...

Balak 5779: Blessings and Curses

07/23/2019 04:07:58 PM

Jul23

During my weekly hour at Starbucks this past Thursday, a young woman approached me. She introduced herself and then asked, “Do you think everything happens for a reason?” While obviously I am early in my career, I still know that there is always a story behind a question like that. So, I waited for it, and sure enough it came. This young woman had experienced more than her share of suffering, including a prolonged, debilitating illness...Read more...

Balak 5779: Good Tents, Good Neighbors

07/23/2019 04:06:54 PM

Jul23

In our Torah portion this week, Balak, we read of the blessings conveyed by the prophet Balaam. Among the poetic verses with which he blesses Israel is the line mah tovu ohalecha ya'akov, mishkanotecha yisrael: How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel. This line eventually was incorporated into the prayer book, to be said upon entering a synagogue. But tonight I want to focus on this line in the context of Balaam's...Read more...

Sh'lah L'kha 5779: True Colors

07/16/2019 03:28:09 PM

Jul16

If you've made it in to the city at all in recent weeks, surely you noticed that many places have been festooned with rainbow flags, as was the lawn of our synagogue. June, as you may know, is Pride month, which celebrates the resilience of the LGBTQ community. This pride month is particularly important, as it commemorates 50 years since the Stonewall Riot. This event is widely considered as the catalyst of the gay rights movement. People from...Read more...

Hukkat 5779: Resisting Temptation

07/16/2019 03:22:57 PM

Jul16

This week, the news was dominated by the arrest of money manager Jeffrey Epstein on charges of sex trafficking. Epstein, who had previously faced and settled similar charges in Florida, has now been indicted by federal prosecutors in New York. They allege that he arranged for dozens of underage women to be brought to his homes, where he then alleged sexually assaulted them. Epstein was known for his connections to wealthy and powerful friends...Read more...

Finding the right rabbi: ‘Mission accomplished'

06/17/2019 04:45:46 PM

Jun17

From the Westmore News, July 14, 2019 (Rye Brook edition) https://westmorenews.com/Content/Community-News/Community-News/Article/Finding-the-right-rabbi-Mission-accomplished-/13/43/36962 Finding the right rabbi: ‘Mission accomplished' Congregation KTI formally welcomes Rabbi Goldberg with installation ceremony By Sarah Wolpoff Thursday, June 13, 2019 3:47 AM Benjamin Goldberg describes his role as the Congregation KTI rabbi as a...Read more...

Shavuot II/ Yizkor 5779: Past and Present

06/12/2019 04:29:46 PM

Jun12

While the holiday of Shavuot in Jewish tradition is associated with the giving of the Torah, the initial meaning of the holiday was connected to the agricultural cycle in the land of Israel. In particular, Shavuot was associated with the beginning of the wheat harvest and the practice of bringing the first fruits from any field of wheat as an offering to the Temple. The ritual was performed en masse by every single farmer in ancient Israel,...Read more...

Shavuot I 5779: Grandparents

06/12/2019 04:27:16 PM

Jun12

What a great blessing it is to be here today in celebration of the grandparents in our community and of the new grandparents in particular. We did this today because we wanted to recognize becoming a grandparent as a distinct moment in life, and a distinct role in a family and in society. Just this week I heard someone say, “If I knew how good being a grandparent was, I would have skipped having kids and gone straight to that!” Of course, it...Read more...
Sun, August 31 2025 7 Elul 5785