Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

I attended a shiva service this past week for Ruth Roth. She attended our High Holy Day services at Kol Ami but was not well-known in our community. I met Ruth through my time as a rabbinic intern at Ohev Sholom. She became interested in our shul after Ohev’s merger with Beth Shalom. I learned that she really enjoyed our service and was interested in joining Kol Ami.

I do not mention this to slip in an accolade for Kol Ami. For me,...Read more...

I attended a retreat for my rabbinic fellowship, the Clergy Leadership Incubator, at the Brandeis-Bardin retreat center in Simi Valley, California, last week. Having been the recipient of an onslaught of information, as well as a highly emotional experience, I have much to unpack from my four days there.

One piece that stands out came from one of the presenters, Rabbi Sharon Brous, of Ikar. Ikar is a cutting-edge synagogue in L.A.,...Read more...

While there is no way I would describe a pandemic in positive terms, I have learned a couple of things the last two-plus years that we can take with us going forward. 

While Zoom is not a fully satisfying substitute for gathering in person, the Zoom world helped keep our local community connected during lockdown. It also allowed us to reach out beyond our congregation to find former congregants who have moved away, and family and...Read more...

By the time you read this, we will be past Yom Kippur looking toward Sukkot, which begins this Sunday evening. Sukkot is Z’man Simchateinu, the Season of our Joy. This emotional swing from the difficulty of confronting our behavior on Yom Kippur actually begins with the Yom Kippur concluding service, Neilah, which ends the day on a high note.

It is always gratifying to see the community come together at the end of a long Yom...Read more...

I recently taught the Jewish calendar to the community-wide conversion class. For some of the conversion students, it was not the first time I had been studying with them. They have been pretty regular participants in Kol Ami study and worship, beginning earlier this summer.

Having made the choice to become part of the Jewish community (and hopefully Kol Ami), they bring a sense of commitment and energy that is transformative for our...Read more...