Rabbi's Blog
It’s been about a month since our last Yoga Shabbat, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Especially today, on the eve of Tu B’Shevat. I remember that moment in the service when we gathered in a circle, at Nancy’s instruction, and formed a stand of trees. Each of us, some more tentatively than others, assumed the Tree Pose. I was particularly self-conscious about how unsteady I felt on one foot. “Remember,” Nancy said in…
Much has been written in the last few weeks about the convergence of Hanukkah & Christmas. I’m more interested in Hanukkah’s crossover from 2024 to 2025. Today, the eighth day of Hanukkah, coincides with the second day of the Hebrew month of Tevet and the second day of the month of January, which is the second day of the new year of 2025. The significance of this connection between Hanukkah and the new year occurred…
For nearly four decades, the Torah that is read during the month of Kislev—known to Hebrew Bible scholars as Sippurei Yosef, the Stories of Joseph or the Joseph Narrative—has been particularly meaningful to me. It was one of the first biblical texts I studied in Hebrew with the poet and professor David Rabeeya z”l at Bryn Mawr College and, more than 20 years later, I revisited these stories with my younger daughter who celebrated her…
Despite being a GenXer and spending plenty of time teaching teenagers, I’ve never been an early adopter of new technology. I’m especially wary of the computerized bells and whistles in my vehicle—more things that can break and require costly repairs. However, I’ve come to appreciate one safety feature in my new car: Adaptive Cruise Control. At first I wasn’t sure I wanted to use this feature on Evesboro-Medford Road. I didn’t feel I could trust…