Words From the Rabbi | Temple B'nai Israel

Jan 55 min read

Thoughts on Reaching My Semi-Sesquicentennial

Our first patriarch, Abraham, was 75 years of age when he received his call to go forth from his homeland and travel to the land which...

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Dec 28, 20234 min read

Thoughts on the New Year of 2024

On Rosh Hashanah, there is a saying that appears in one of the liturgical poems, a piyyut, recited in some traditions that states,...

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Dec 23, 20234 min read

Someone you should know

One of the regular visitors to our Shabbat services is a lovely Cambodian woman named Chhomnath Long, whom we know simply as "Chumna."...

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Dec 14, 20235 min read

Continuing Prayers for Those Kidnapped by Hamas

Nearly ten weeks have passed since the horrendous events of October 7th. The war continues in Gaza, as Israel strives to rescue those...

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Dec 7, 20237 min read

More Inclusive Rules for Our Community

Last year, when I attended the annual convention of the Rabbinical Assembly, the international organization of Conservative/Masorti...

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Dec 1, 20238 min read

Thoughts on Prayers for Miracles

As we know, Jewish holidays are either “early” or “late” each year; they never seem to come “on time.” This is due to the Jewish calendar...

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Nov 17, 20238 min read

Thoughts on Adonai S’fatai Tiftach

Our Jewish tradition prescribes three daily prayer services, shacharit in the morning, minchah in the afternoon, and maariv at night. The...

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Temple B'nai Israel

Nov 10, 20236 min read

Thoughts on Additions to the Morning Service

We have noted in the past that while there are certain prayers regarded by our Sages as obligatory, that passing centuries have added to...

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Temple B'nai Israel

Nov 6, 20236 min read

Thoughts on the Akedah

Thoughts on the Akedah (The Binding of Isaac) When we think of the Akedah, the story of the binding and near-sacrifice of our ancestor...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Oct 27, 20236 min read

Thoughts on the Hostages in Gaza

Names are very important in Jewish tradition. The second book of the Torah, known in English as Exodus, bears the name “Shmot” in Hebrew...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Oct 20, 20239 min read

Thoughts on Prayers for the State of Israel

In the wake of the recent unprovoked attack on the State of Israel and its citizens by the terrorist group Hamas, resulting in the murder...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Oct 13, 20234 min read

Israel

Saturday morning. Shabbat. Shemini Atzeret. Simchat Torah in Israel. Z'man Simchateinu we call it in our liturgy, the season of our joy....

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Oct 6, 20239 min read

Thoughts on Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) on Sukkot

In the Tanach, the Jewish Bible, five small books are grouped together following the larger Books of Psalms, Proverbs, and Job, among the...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Sep 29, 202310 min read

Thoughts on the Lulav and the Etrog

Somewhere tucked away, ready to pop out when I least expect it, I have a campaign-style button with a picture of a milkshake on it. This...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Sep 7, 20238 min read

Thoughts on the Symbolic Foods for Rosh Hashanah

I was in Evanston last week at the “Kosher Jewel” to pick up a couple of items and as I glanced at the packages in the kosher meat...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Sep 1, 202310 min read

Thoughts on Encountering a Different Prayer Nusach

The word “nusach” which in modern Hebrew means a formula, a version, or a rite, with regard to the prayer service, is used in two...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Aug 12, 202310 min read

Thoughts on Sheva D’nechemta – Seven Haftarot of Comfort

During the past two weeks we have entered into a period of preparation for the High Holiday season which will soon be upon us. I wrote a...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Jul 27, 20239 min read

Thoughts on Eicha – The Book of Lamentations

This week, we come to the end of the three weeks, beinhametzarim, between the straits, the two fast days, that I wrote about a couple of...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Jul 21, 20239 min read

Thoughts on the Direction of Prayer

For the past year, I have been serving, in addition to my rabbinic duties at Temple B’nai Israel, as one of the registry chaplains at...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Jul 13, 20237 min read

Thoughts on the Three Weeks

Unless we regularly consult the Jewish calendar, many of us are blissfully unaware of the significance of the period of time that is...

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