We are two days away from Yom Kippur. In two days, after a very intense 24 hours of fasting and praying, we will all go home from the synagogue feeling spiritually refreshed, forgiven for our sins of the past, able to go out and start the new year fresh. But being forgiven...
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Yesterday the Senate approved a bill which gives the President the power to decide which methods of torture are OK to use, and which denies detainees one of the most fundamental rights of all in our legal system, the right to habeas corpus. CNN’s coverage is here. I have spoken in the past about...
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Will there ever be peace in the Middle East? A few weeks ago I met with this year’s confirmation class for the first time. The Jewish tradition encourages asking questions, so I like to start the year having the 10th graders come up with a list of questions they’d like answered. And they come...
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Today is the great Day of Judgment. Our prayers today reflect a teaching from the Talmud that tells us that God has two books open today, the Book of Life and the Book of Death. The totally righteous—those who have all assets and no debts, all mitzvot and no sins—go straight into the Book...
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Last year on Yom Kippur I spoke about how having a real relationship with God can change your life. Last Kol Nidre I said “If you KNOW God exists—just as surely as you know you yourself exist—if you have a relationship with God just like you have a relationship with your spouse or your...
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Last week US District Court Judge David Katz sentenced Tom Noe to 27 months in prison for enlisting others in a scheme to make illegal campaign contributions. Many of us followed the case especially closely since the judge is also a past president and active member of our congregation. We can’t help but feel...
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