Rabbi's Blog

I like short, quick answers, don’t you? It’s pretty obvious that our attention spans are pretty short. So, if you are wondering, “Why we are here this morning,” and, “What is the point of this holiest of days in the Jewish calendar,” let me offer you this short, quick answer: sins. Yep, I said it - sins, wrongdoings, places where we messed up, no no’s. In one way or another, that is what Yom Kippur is about....Read more...

Frequently, people ask me about how I come up with my ideas for my sermons. Now, if I was an ultra-Orthodox rabbi, the answer would be quite simple. I would look to the classic Jewish sources: the Torah, the Talmud and other rabbinic texts written thousands of years ago. But as a Reform Rabbi, things are a little different. I not only can choose from the...Read more...

The Jewish New Year is always a great opportunity for us to reflect on our lives. And when I look at the past couple of years and compare them to the prior decades, I would say that I am overjoyed. I am ecstatic about the now. Of course, we have political strife as well as the obvious natural disasters, but I really am happy about the era in which we live in. And the basic reason for my feelings is because of the simple...Read more...

In the spirit of the holiday season, I want to be honest with everyone here. I am a wimp. Yep, it’s true. Now, I’m not a wimp in all areas. Specifically, I’m referring to when I go biking. Simply put, there are two types of riders. There are those that ride to raise their blood pressure, get in some exercise, and enjoy their surroundings. And then there are those that ride, looking for that amazing...Read more...

“What is hateful to you, do not do unto your neighbors.”

Read more...

Read more...

To My Beth Am Family,
 
As the sun sets this evening, we all will sit and partake in the three thousand year old Jewish tradition of remembering...Read more...

           This High Holy Day season marks the beginning of my 11th year as a full-time Rabbi at Temple Beth Am. I vividly remember coming to the synagogue in my first days. I’m sure you guys can all imagine sitting in the office for the first time noticing all of the new and exciting things. For me, it was exciting because the office was filled with, pretty much, nothing. I mean literally,...Read more...

           So I know that our society has been completely obsessed with millennial’s and their effect on our culture, but this evening I want to talk about a different generation: generation X. Remember us, the kids who grew up on the Brady Bunch. In particular, I want to talk about music. How many of you here remember “The Metal Hair Bands?” Come on, admit it, you remember those loud...Read more...

           Over the past few summers, I have had the absolute pleasure of seeing my children perform in musicals. Their shows are the outcome of the blood, sweat, and tears they shed over two weeks of rehearsals at their theater camps. It’s so great to see the kids up on stage doing their lines, singing their songs, and performing with great panache. Of course, at every performance, there...Read more...

            Since our kids were infants, Ellen and I always loved reading to our children at night. It is just one of those timeless traditions where we would cuddle them up in our arms while holding the book with our hands, taking them on a journey to a land described in the book. One of the books that my kids loved the most was Papa, Get Me The Moon by Eric Carle. It tells the story of...Read more...

To my Beth Am Family,

As the sun sets this coming Friday evening, many of us will gather with family and friends to begin Passover. Many of us will arrive at the Seder table with the smells of chicken soup and brisket wafting through our houses. Yes, Passover is about matzah, charoset, and horseradish.  And it is also about the powerful themes of freedom, redemption, and hope. All of these things and so much more make Passover...Read more...

              About a year ago, the Pew Research Center came out with their famous report about religion in America. Many of us in the Jewish world had are eyes opened to the reality that Jews were becoming less and less connected to their heritage and their beliefs. However, the report didn't just focus on the Jewish community. This report, like many reports, informed all of us...Read more...

          This past summer, my family had the pleasure of visiting the 9/11 Memorial. It took us awhile to find the official opening to the park area. So with every turn, we gasped, hoping to find what we were looking for. As the Freedom Tower stared down at us, we finally reached our destination. The roar of the two waterfalls filled the air. As we took steps towards the black plaques, we...Read more...

          This past summer, Ellen and I went on a cruise. In the evening, we liked to go to the comedy shows. At the beginning of each show, they played a small movie clip of George Lopez. The bit was about kids on cruise ships. He talked about how great it was that cruise ships have kids all over the place. He went on to say just how crazy some of these kids acted. He said, "Just yesterday, I saw...Read more...

        The new iPhone came out this weekend. Anybody here have a new iPhone yet? You guys like it? Many of us heard about this new introduction by Apple a few weeks ago, but we finally were able to get our hands on it this past weekend. And as we heard, the gadget is filled with many wonderful new features. And while it can track your heart rate and your calorie intake, and perhaps it can even call your...Read more...