Congregation Beth Mordecai
Congregation Beth Mordecai
An inclusive congregation affiliated with the Conservative Movement.
Your Jewish Home for the Soul!
An inclusive congregation affiliated with the Conservative Movement.
Your Jewish Home for the Soul!
September 2, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
This is the first of a three part journal series previewing this Sunday's Israeli-Palestinian speaker event "One Land, Two Worlds, One Painful Hope"
Dear Hevreh,
I'm very excited for this week because it's the leadup to...the first game of the NFL season! Ever since I can remember I've been a big football fan, particularly of the Philadelphia Eagles :). Every year there is the triumph of success and (unfortunately more often than not) the pain of failure. Though there can only be one Super Bowl winner each year, most teams have at least one Super Bowl-like game of the year -- a litmus test for how good the team is compared to a (rival) team that is thought to be much better[...]
Category : Beth Mordecai in the News Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : Beth Mordecai in the News community Eagles Jewish Federation litmus test rabbi rabbi's journal Super Bowl
August 27, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, Today is the second day of Rosh Hodesh Elul, the beginning of the month which proceeds the High Holidays and thus helps us prepare ourselves to make the High Holidays a meaningful experience. Each day of Elul, Jews are called upon to blow the shofar, our ancient instrument for inner change. By blowing the shofar each day we create an opportunity to hear what its piercing call is trying to tell us (or remind us) on how to be our best selves. Each day this month the shofar reminds to make every moment count. As part of our collective preparation for the High Holiday season, we will use the power of the shofar to help remind ourselves what we need[...]
Category : Holidays Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : #ShofarChallenge Elul flourish high holidays rabbi rabbi's journal Rosh Hodesh shofar video YouTube
August 26, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, It's amazing what a few phone calls and emails can do. Last Friday morning, I emailed and called some members of our community to let them know about a special minhah service we were having before our regular Friday night service so that one of our members could recite Kaddish on the day of his father's yahrtzeit. It just took a few emails and phone calls and before you know it...we had a full house in our chapel at 7:45 pm! It's incredible how technology can make it so much easier to get in contact with people and how we can rally people together in such a short period of time. The type of fast communication we take for granted[...]
Category : Holidays Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : bonfires Elul emails israel minyan Palestine Palestinian rabbi rabbi's journal Rosh Hodesh small time
August 24, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
(8/24/14),
Over the past two years, I've taken advantage of an opportunity to learn and connect with an impressive and diverse array of rabbis at a retreat for CLAL's Rabbis Without Borders program. At this past retreat, I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know a very impressive rabbi -- Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger, an orthodox rabbi who lives in one of the settlements outside of Jerusalem and spends most of his time running a pluralist learning program he leads once a month in Northern Texas. We connected because of our mutual interest in Jewish perspectives on Christianity so we decided to continue our correspondence after the retreat as hevrutapartners to learn the New Testament together over[...]
Category : Israeli News Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : Ali Abu Awaad CLAL israel israeli news Jewish Studies Initiative non-violence opportunity peace rabbi Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger rabbi's journal rabbis without borders reconciliation
August 21, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
I'm writing this journal a little later than usual because, I'm sure like many of you, returning from a vacation requires a lot of catch up time. Projects to check, emails and phone calls to answer, deadlines to reach, the world certainly doesn't stop working even if you do. Before this summer's breaks, there was an added level of stress that made returning to work difficult: the feeling that when I'm not working, not much happens; the feeling of desperately being needed.
While your stress level increases because of it, this feeling of desperately being needed may also fill you with a sense of pride. It may lead you to believe that you are so important that you are always[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : ego evil inclination Genesis Rabbah pride rabbi rabbi's journal significant vacation yetzer hara
August 12, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Many of you have heard the tragic news of the untimely death of Robin Williams, a brilliant actor and comedian whose performances have entertained millions of people. I have especially fond memories from my youth of some of his most memorable performances, including Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, and Hook. He's one of the first performers I remember truly admiring. Yet his untimely and all-too-early death remind us that just because someone may be able to show great enthusiasm and joy on screen doesn't mean that it inherently translates to how someone may feel on the inside.
There is a teaching in the Book of D'varim (Deuteronomy) that speaks to me in this moment:
(הנסתרות לה' אלקינו והנגלות לנו ולבנינו עד[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : death Deuteronomy 29:28 God hidden hope rabbi rabbi's journal revealed Robin Williams
August 11, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Sometimes we tend to overthink, whether it's in our decision making or in our planning. We can get so caught up in the possibilities of what we can do and, at least in the case of our synagogue programming, trying to be innovative. Sometimes we spend too much time thinking about how to dress up the cover of the "book" we want to teach to make it shinier and more beautiful so more people pay attention. Yet, as is often the case, the most successful way to teach -- or to program or to plan -- is to keep it simple. As is often the case, the most successful way to teach is simply to open the book.
This past[...]
Category : Kidz Korner Perth Amboy News Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : book children God's Army Ministries innovation kidz korner learning opening rabbi rabbi's journal simple simplicity torah
August 5, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Last night, our community gathered with Marlboro Jewish Center, Temple Beth Ahm, and Congregation Beth Ohr for a special communal observance of Tisha B'av. A number of the rabbis, including myself, had an opportunity to teach a little about the holiday prior to readingM'gillat Eikhah. I was particularly fascinated by the teaching of Rabbi Lisa Malik on the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, perhaps the most famous story related to the destruction of the second Temple.
The story, which you can find here, seemed pregnant with such meaning that I took the time today with one of our members to study it in more depth. (By the way, please feel free to drop in during[...]
Category : Holidays Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tishah B'av Uncategorized Tag : Bar Kamtza Congregation Beth Ahm Congregation Beth Ohr destruction fasting holidays jerusalem Kamtza Marlboro Jewish Center rabbi Rabbi Lisa Malik Rabbi Michael Pont Rabbi Yochanan Rabbi Yohanan rabbi's journal talmud Temple tisha b'av tishah b'av zealotry
July 17, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
(7/17/14),
You know that saying that "it's hard to see the forest through the trees?" I used to think it simply meant being unable to see the big picture when you're immersed in the details of what you're doing. Now I think it also means that even if you have a sense of the bigger picture of what you're doing, you may not be able to see the bigger picture of what the world is doing. That is to say that what we're doing is only a small part of what's happening in the world, and even if we are cognizant of how we impact the world, the world may have other things on its mind.
Take this week. Whether it is[...]
Category : Israeli News Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : israel rabbi rabbi's journal
June 29, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, I just wanted to share a quick note letting you know that Rachel, Jonah, and I are headed on vacation to Camp Ramah in the Poconos for two weeks, returning on July 13th. While Rachel and I have spent many summers there as campers and as staff, this will be the first time we will be there as a family. It'll be Jonah's first introduction to a locale that holds a special place not only in his parents' hearts, but in the hearts of many members (and generations) of our respective families. In many ways, our shlep to the Poconos tomorrow feels like heading home and I'm excited that we can pass on the tradition of going to Camp[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal