The Clergy Suite Podcast by Temple Isaiah

In the wake of missiles, op-eds, and Israel's Independence Day, Rabbi Frimmer asks us to turn away from the headlines and look to Torah as our guide. The Holiness code instructs us to rebuke that which is wrong and the wrongdoers. At the same time, we cannot take vengeance or bear a grudge. "This is the Holiness Code. It’s not a mirror. It’s not who we are right now. It’s a window, asking us to lo...

Sharing you passions with your children can be a wonderful bonding experience together. Whatever your passion may be, here are a few suggestions on how to create unique and memorable experiences that are meaningful to you and your children will enjoy as well.

Parents often put the cart before the horse…trying to teach children to share without first teaching them responsible ownership. Here are some tricks and tips to teaching children responsibility, responsible ownership and how to share from the heart.

Cantor Tifani Coyot offers six Jewish values to help parents model and teach their children to be in lifelong relationship with Israel.

How many of you joined Isaiah because you knew a Reform Jewish community on the Westside of LA would best represent your family’s spiritual needs and nurture a meaningful Reform Jewish Identity for you and your children? And how many of you joined for the preschool? Rabbi Frimmer explores the moments Isaians first encounter Reform Judaism and the 2 types of reactions leading us to positive or nega...

Rabbi Dara Frimmer talks with Temple Isaiah’s Cantorial Soloist, Rabbi Jaclyn Cohen and her husband, CPA Joshua Cohen. Listen in for the dinner table conversations between an accountant and a rabbi, each addressing the challenge of helping people plan ahead. How can honesty, integrity, Jewish values and tradition help us to start hard conversations and do the necessary work to protect and care for...

Lists of names, lists of dead, lists of wounded overwhelm us. Delving into the infinity of one life, however, is where the heart truly breaks. A message for Yom HaShoah the week following the Chabad Synagogue shooting in Poway.

Isaiah congregant, Selma Edelman, shares her spiritual journey from youth to adulthood, from Christian hymns to Jewish blessings, from healing to illness and back again. Rabbi Zoe Klein Miles follows up with a blessing for Selma and her kidney donor, Christopher Showerman, on the Shabbat before his donation and her transplant.

This week on The Clergy Suite: Special guest, Rabbi Joel Simonds, founder of the Jewish Center for Justice in Los Angeles talks about Climate Change, Criminal Justice Reform and Advocacy for Israel. Rabbi Simonds and Rabbi Frimmer also take time to explore the intersection of Judaism and Justice, tapping the potential of overworked parents' late night social media posts, and giving Jews a voice, i...

Cantor Coyot and Rabbis Frimmer, Cohen and Klein Miles pause to remember their favorite melodies from childhood seders and what songs they plan to bring or debut this year. Enjoy this musical conversation with traditional and modern melodies, creative seder ideas, and ways to inspire your guests to sing along. Share with your children. Play it as you shop, prep, chop and roll your way to seder nig...

Rabbi Frimmer and Temple Isaiah’s Preschool Director, Tamar Andrews, discuss Passover recipes including 4 different types of Haroset, how to prep and plan without feeling enslaved, and small ways to make a big impact on family, friends and guests.

Rabbi Josh Weinberg, Vice President of the URJ for Israel and Reform Zionism & Executive Director of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America, breaks down the parties, the leaders, the possible coalitions, and the complexity of Israel’s recent election on April 9, 2019. Encouraged by questions from our community, Rabbi Weinberg offers insight into the electoral process while sharing per...

Rabbi Zoë Klein Miles Friday Night Shabbat Sermon 5779. A person who does great things is not always good. A person who does good things is always great.

Whether you are the leader or the participant, Rabbis Nickerson, Klein Miles and Frimmer share ideas on how to spice up your seder. Tune in for some new ways to talk about freedom and redemption and tips on how to engage participants of all ages. Seder resources: "10 Great Discussion Topics for Your Passover Seder." "11 Creative Ideas for Your Passover Seder." "The Kveller Haggadah is for curious...

The Shulchan Arukh, an influential Jewish code of law from the 16th century, tells us, “We inquire as to the laws of Passover thirty days beforehand.” (Orach Chayyim 429:1) Just as the month of Elul in the summer is dedicated to preparing for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, so, too, is the time between Purim and Passover meant for reflection and consideration. In what ways can Purim help us pr...

A recording of the Latke Hamantash Debate between Rabbis Nickerson and Frimmer, first heard on December 7, 2018 at Isaiah's Hanukkah Shabbat service.

Rabbis Klein Miles, Nickerson and Frimmer return to the Clergy Suite to discuss 2 more questions submitted by congregants: 1. How do we separate Anti-Israel comments from Antisemitism? How can one be prepared to hold a civil discourse drawing the lines? 2. What is the purpose of Jewish prayer, and how can we more fully realize the experience of  praying (or, as we say in Yiddish, davenning)? Click...

During a Shabbat service with 2nd and 3rd grade families, the Pop-Up Choir, and Shabbat regulars, Rabbi Frimmer teaches on the "hidden" mitzvah of Purim tzedakah. How can the holiday of Purim move past cookies and costumes and teach us important lessons about generosity, dignity, and equality? Thanks to the congregants who shared answers and reflections to the following questions: What's Purim all...

Rabbi Frimmer surprises Rabbi Nickerson and Rabbi Klein Miles with a Pisces Pop Quiz: Answer the top 6 questions Isaians ask while standing with their clergy in the Temple lobby, on the sidelines of the soccer field, or while schmoozing at the oneg table on Friday nights. Tune in and find out what these Early-March-Birthday Rabbis have to say about life, death, tattoos and Torah.

Rabbi Joel Nickerson explores a rabbinic interpretation of the Israelite’s gifts in building the Tabernacle and the value our tradition places on the power of brokenness and vulnerability.

Rabbis Nickerson and Frimmer return to the topic of Purim, taking a deeper dive into the topics of Amalek, the donning of creative costumes, and the tradition of excessive drinking. Explore new ideas and practices as you and your family prepare for this annual celebration of survival and silliness.

By referencing a challenging passage in the story of the Golden Calf, Rabbi Joel Nickerson explores the value of ‘lifting the veil’ in order to discover the beauty found within the complex narratives of our tradition and our lives.

For many, Purim has been relegated to a children’s holiday replete with cookies, costumes and carnivals. This week, Rabbis Frimmer and Nickerson shake up the story. Purim, like Hanukkah, contains a deeper (darker!) message of how Jews continue to survive uncertainty, vulnerability and arch-enemies that arise in every generation. Learn more about Purim and the accompanying mitzvot (commandments). H...

This week’s Torah portion outlines the intricate designs of the Priestly garments, including golden bells along the hemline of the High Priest’s robe. Rabbi Frimmer explores ancient and modern examples of when/how alarm bells signal danger in the life of the Jewish people.

Rabbis Frimmer and Nickerson welcome Rabbi Zoe Klein Miles, Interim Director of the Religious School into the Clergy Suite for a conversation about religious school, Jewish literacy and Jewish identity. Tune in for the first of many conversations about the intersection of tradition and innovation as seen and lived in the halls of Isaiah.