From the Bimah: Jewish Lessons for Life

In our American milieu, we pride ourselves on individualism. We believe in the power of the American dream—the ability of every person to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, to make of themselves something great. Because we believe so much in the power of every individual, we tell stories of success as if each person were fighting against the current of the world, we talk about how they did th...

I want to speak to you today from the heart about something that is very important to me, I care a lot about it, yet I have never before in 23 years spoken about it from the bimah:  BDS, the movement to boycott, divest and sanction Israel, the movement to single out Israel, from among all the nations in the world, not China, which imprisons its Muslim minorities, not Turkey, which stifles its...

The latest symbol of the American culture wars is a can of beans.  In case you missed the political scuffle, last week Robert Unanue, the CEO of Goya Foods, the largest Hispanic owned company in the U.S., stood next to the President in the Rose Garden and declared his support. The response was swift and severe: a massive outcry that took social media by storm with clips of Hispanic celebritie...

Is it possible to be at peace in the middle of a pandemic? Every morning we hear the grim statistics, how many infected, how many hospitalized, how many died.  Every morning, these numbers keep growing.  Is it possible to be at peace while hearing these numbers? And while statistics convey one kind of truth, individual stories convey a deeper truth.  Like the story of Charles Hiser....

In honor of the Fourth of July, I want to tell you a true story about our beloved nation in a hard season on its finest day. Our story begins in Aleppos, Syria, where a young boy named Abdulkader Hayani left school at the age of 9 to learn the craft of tailoring.  He got to be a master tailor and came to own his own tailor shop in Aleppo, overseeing six employees and ten sewing machines.&nbsp...

This week, I had the most interesting conversation with one of our now-7th graders. I asked her what advice she would give to incoming 6th graders about how to succeed in middle school. I thought she would say something about the importance of doing homework on time or paying attention in class; something she had learned which helped her academically. Instead, immediately and without hesitation sh...

Since the murder of George Floyd, I have heard two voices from the members of Temple Emanuel. By far the more common voice is moral outrage at the structural racial injustice that the murder of George Floyd revealed.  I knew, but I didn’t know. I saw, but I didn’t focus.  I should have done more.  I am complicit.   But now I am awakened.  What books can I read? ...

I want to speak to you today as a millennial. As a millennial, people tell me I don’t understand—that problems take time to resolve, they take nuance, they take patience.  But I know that just because things have been a certain way, doesn’t mean that’s how they need to stay. As a millennial, I know that often we do not have the luxury of time. If we want to make our world conform to our value...

When the coronavirus first hit and schools around the world shut down, Israeli mother Shiri Kenigsberg Levi rose to internet stardom, sharing her displeasure with the world in a hilarious homeschool harangue. A few weeks later she was at it again – this time in honor of Mother’s Day, reflecting on the super-power of one word. She begins: “I realized something that if not for the coronavirus I woul...

In the 70s, Walter Mischel began the experiment that we all know and love, and which became one of the most famous psychological experiments of all time. At the time, he wanted to explore the relationship between a child’s patience and ability to wait and their success later in life. To conduct the experiment, he sat four-year-old children in front of a marshmallow and told them they had a choice....

In case we did not have enough to worry about, earlier this month news broke about a whole new out-of-left field threat: murder hornets.  If their name itself does not do it, the description of these vicious insects is enough to send shivers up the spine.  The nearly 2-inch predators can singlehandedly destroy the entire population of a honeybee hive in a most gruesome manner within the...

I realized I had a problem last Friday when I was doing our weekly shopping for Shabbat at Whole Foods—when I saw, and could not resist buying, this large package of 16 toilet paper rolls that we definitely do not need. One of the glories of the Whole Foods where I shop is that often they have large packages of toilet paper available, one per customer.  I go there once a week, and whenever th...

A few months ago, when I would send an e-mail to the congregation, I would get scores of bounce-backs – out-of-office replies like, “Thank you for your e-mail, I’m travelling for business and will get back to you as soon as I can.”  Or, “I’m on vacation.  I’ll be offline with limited access to e-mail.  If you need something, call someone else.” I sent an e-mail last week and receive...

There is a very poor neighborhood in Cape Town, South Africa that is regularly terrorized by two rival street gangs.  These gangs literally kill each other and extort, harass, and intimidate townspeople.  Police could not stop the violence. Preachers, pastors, counselors, star soccer players could not stop the violence.  You know what did stop the violence?  The Coronavirus. Fo...

There is a nurse in Florida who lives in a town that is blessed not to have much Covid-19 activity.  When she heard about the surge happening in our Commonwealth this week, she decided to help.  She left her husband, her children, and her home in Florida and got right to work in one of our hospitals treating those infected with the virus.  She leaves all she knows behind to run towa...

[sung] My life flows on in endless song, above earth’s lamentation. I hear the real, though far off hymn, that hails a new creation. Through all the tumult and the strife, I hear that music ringing. It sounds an echo in my heart, how can I keep from singing? Every year when we read the Passover story, and every time we sing the Song of the Sea, I wonder what it would have been like to be an Israel...

One of the consequences of our surreal season has been greater clarity about what really matters in life.  I hear that again and again—what really matters—from people in various stages of life. There was a bride and groom who were going to get married this summer.  It was to be a glorious venue, with a stunning view of the water, in a historic villa, uber elegant, with hundreds of guests...

Last year, I made a Passover parody playlist to help our family get in the holiday spirit.  This year, a friend sent me a coronavirus playlist with songs like, “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” “U Can’t Touch This,” and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It.”  Or my personal favorite for this Pesach : “From a Distance.” Last night, many of us connected with our loved ones from a distance...

From March 28th, 2020.

It was 2012. I was standing on the sidewalk of Emek Refaim holding a blindfold, ready to begin the simulation. I put the blindfold on, feeling excited for the challenge. I was determined to be the best temporarily blind person ever. But as the darkness set in, I was surprised by how quickly my excitement fizzled in the face of anxiety. Without the ability to see, I was paralyzed by fear.  Eve...

From March 28th, 2020

Mazal Tov Lily on your Bat Mitzvah!  And mazal tov to your parents, David and Melissa, to your sisters, Tove and Emma, to your grandmother Lee.  Lee, we are so happy that you now live at Evans Park, so close to our shul.  And mazal tov to your aunt and uncle, Jessica and John, and to your cousins, Hannah, Noah and Olivia.  This is not the day that any of us would have envisione...

A story is told about Rebbe Zusha of Anipoli, a beloved Chasidic rabbi who lived in Northern Poland in the 1700s, a place that was not particularly friendly to its Jewish residents. One night, Reb Zusha left his house and began to walk. Two big, burly, policeman stopped him and asked: “Where are you going?” Zusha took a breath and replied, “I don’t know.” “That’s ridiculous. You must know where yo...

Tune in as Rabbi Michelle Robinson interviews Jonathan Ornstein, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Centre of Krakow. We look forward to hearing Jonathan speak at Temple Emanuel on Tuesday, March 17th. Follow this link to learn more https://www.templeemanuel.com/event/building-a-jewish-future-in-krakow/

It was Monday morning. I had just parked in the Wegman’s lot, and was gathering my re-usable bags when the phone rang.  I answered, and the familiar recording began to play, [robotically] “an inmate from the Donald D Wyatt Detention Facility would like to speak with you….” I settled back into my seat as I waited for the end of the recording. “This call is being recorded. To accept charges, pr...