Posted March 20, 2026 - Nissan 2, 5786 The last item on our agenda at the Passover Seder just prior to dinner is designated as “Korech,” better known as “Hillel’s Sandwich.” After completing the mitzvah of telling the story of the Exodus in various ways, we offer praise to God with the opening two Psalms of the Hallel prayers and a concluding blessing leading into the drinking of the second of the four cups of wine. At this point, we prepare for the festive meal. First, we wa

Originally Posted February 20, 2026 - 3 Adar, 5786 You may have noticed an article published last week in the Chicago Tribune by Adriana Pérez entitled “Human Composting Offers an Environmentally Friendly End. Some Are Pushing to Legalize It in Illinois.” Though this method of handling human remains is not presently offered in this state, as of last week, several companies who offer this service in Washington State where it has been legal since 2020, began offering logistica

Originally Posted February 27, 2026 - 10 Adar, 5786 This Shabbat, prior to Purim, is designated as Parashat Zachor. This is the second of the four special maftir readings and haftarahs preceding Purim and Passover at this season. “Zachor” means “remember,” the opening word of the maftir reading from Deuteronomy 25:17 – 19. “Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt…You shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” This

Originally Posted: March 6, 2026 - 17 Adar, 5786 Nearly a week has gone by since the attack on Iran by Israel and the United States began. I suspect that many of us have mixed emotions about this operation. Not too many tears have been shed for the death of the Supreme Leader and some 40 other figures in the Iranian leadership in the initial bombing raid by Israel. Khamenei and his leadership have been responsible for thousands of deaths in his own country, for the suppr

Posted: March 13, 2026 - 24 Adar, 5786 One of the first encounters I had with the study of Talmud was a Hillel class in college with a local rabbi teaching the tractate of Pesachim which deals with the laws of Passover. That text begins with the Mishnaic teaching: “Or la-arbaah asar bodkim et ha-chametz la-or ha-ner,” “On the eve of the 14 th day (of Nisan) we search for chametz (leavened products) by lamp light.” With all the detailed laws of Passover and their deep signifi

Originally Posted February 13, 2026 Last week our Torah portion of Yitro culminated with the dramatic events at Mount Sinai. After three days of preparation and purification, the Israelites, formerly enslaved to Pharaoh, stand at the foot of the mountain amidst thunder and lightning, the earth shaking, a blast of the shofar, and then the powerful voice coming forth from a cloud is heard: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of sla

Originally Posted February 6, 2026 It is striking that this week’s Torah portion containing the central moment of Jewish history—the Israelites standing at Sinai, receiving God’s word and the Ten Commandments—bears the name of Moses’ father‑in‑law, Jethro. By highlighting Jethro and his advice, the Torah draws our attention to an essential dimension of Moses and a lesson about leadership itself. After welcoming his father‑in‑law, who congratulates him on the success of his mi

Originally Posted January 30, 2026 When we think of our first patriarch, Abraham, not only was he singled out for his recognition of the one God, but his outstanding attribute was his hospitality to strangers, hachnasat orchim. The mIdrash tells us his tent was open in all directions so that he might not miss any passing stranger. Even shortly after his circumcision at age 99, we find him sitting at the entrance of his tent, seeking an opportunity to welcome strangers passing

Originally Published 1/23/2026 A few months ago, I wrote about the list of charges brought against the British monarch, George III, in 1776, as the central portion of the Declaration of Independence. I quoted my colleague Rabbi Gordon Tucker who had drawn some obvious comparisons between that list of grievances to policies that are being pursued by the current administration in this country. Reflecting on George III, I recalled that at a certain point his behavior manifested

Originally Posted January 16, 2026 In November 1967, the Ku Klux Klan placed a bomb at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, MS. They targeted the synagogue because its rabbi, Perry Nussbaum who had served the congregation since 1954 had been deeply involved in the civil rights movement, supporting black churches, marching with Dr. King and others, and had personally made weekly trips to check on individuals who were imprisoned some distance from Jackson for their roles in the

Originally posted on December 25, 2025 In 2010, during her confirmation hearings to become a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, in a particularly contentious moment, Elena Kagan was asked by Senator Lindsey Graham what she was doing on a particular Christmas Day under discussion, to which she replied: “You know, like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant.” Christmas presents an unusual challenge for many Jews, and, no doubt for other non-Christians, each year sin

Originally posted on December 12, 2025 ` At this week’s Board of Directors’ meeting for the Temple, it was formally announced that Micah Fogel would be assuming the chair of our Religious Committee as long-time chair Dave Fellman requested to step down from that position. Dave indicated that he will continue his involvement with some aspects of the committee’s work, but he felt it was time for someone else to take over the leadership of the committee. Many thanks to Dave who

Originally posted on November 21, 2025 According to Jewish law and, indeed, in most legal systems, a person is responsible for his or her own actions. Even if directed by a higher authority, a supervisor, a superior officer, a governmental official, to perform some action which is in violation of the law, contradicts the teachings of the Torah and halakha, or goes against the Constitution, that individual may not perform that illicit act and then claim that they were merely

Originally posted on November 14, 2025 In recent weeks these posts have been mostly about current events and Jewish values. We are bombarded with “Breaking News” constantly throughout the day and admittedly it becomes a little tiresome. This week’s theme seems to be the gradual release of the Epstein files, now that the government is reopened once more. I thought for a change of pace I’d return to the texts I enjoy and share with you what I found to be an interesting variati

Originally posted on November 6, 2025 At the very end of the Birkat HaMazon, the grace after meals, there is a quotation from Psalms that raises theological questions and troubles some people to the extent that they purposely omit it from the prayer. It states, “Na’ar hayiti v’gam zakanti,” “I was young and now I am old, v’lo raiti tzaddik ne’ezav v’zaro m’vakesh lachem, but have never seen a righteous person abandoned – that person’s children begging for bread.” Unfortunate

Originally posted on October 24, 2025 After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, I wrote a piece on Freedom of Speech quoting the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution defending his right to express views that may be inimical to my own beliefs and, frankly, to the values of our religious teachings and the founding principles of this country, and arguing in favor of people learning to disagree without being disagreeable. Last Saturday, some seven to eight million Americans

Posted originally on September 28, 2025 On the Jewish calendar, almost exactly two years have passed since the horrific attack on Israel on Simchat Torah, by Hamas, the taking of some 250 hostages, and the ongoing response of Israel to obtain their release and to eliminate the threat posed for so many years by Hamas. Many of the hostages had been released in previous ceasefire arrangements and now on Monday, the twenty remaining living hostages were released and returned to

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of...

(Photo above: Aunt Esther and a much younger me next to Mom’s mirror, no longer in the living room in this later house, but now in the...

One of the most familiar prayers that we recite on the High Holidays is a poem inserted into the Musaf prayers known popularly by its...