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!
January 28, 2016 By bethmordecai no comments.
The folliowing is the first of three journal entries previewing this weekend's Shabbatapalooza activities...
Dear Hevreh,
The other day during a break in the action of a local hockey game, I mentioned to our esteemed Executive Director Elliot Rubin that no matter what we do at the shul to "jazz" up services, nothing can beat the awe, the drama, the magnitude of a major sporting event. I mean, have you ever heard the deafening sound of a horn blown at a hockey game? It can't even compare.
Since then I've been thinking about the ways in which our senses are overwhelmed, enraptured, and awed by our experiences. And then I came across this video from the very interesting, modern philosopher Jason Silva.[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Shabbatapalooza Tag : awe rabbi rabbi's journal Shabbatapalooza shots of awe
January 21, 2016 By bethmordecai no comments.
Reflection on last week's Friday night service and this week's upcoming storm...
"דומה דודי לצבי" (שיר השירים ב:ט), מה צבי זה מדלג מהר להר מבקעה לבקעה מאילן לאילן ומסוכה לסוכה מגדר לגדר, כך הקב"ה מקפץ מבית הכנסת זה לבית הכנסת זה מבית מדרש זה לבית מדרש זה. כל כך למה? כדי לברך ישראל.
- שיר השירים רבה פרשה ב
"My beloved is like a gazelle" (Song of Songs 2:9), Just as a gazelle skips from mountain to mountain, valley to valley, tree to tree, and dwelling to dwelling, fence to fence, so too the Holy One Blessed Be He skips from this synagogue to that synagogue, from this house of study to that house of study. Why? In order to bless Israel.
- Song[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Tag : Ahad Ha'am angels God home jewish community learning Midrash Northern Jewish Middlesex rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat skipping song of songs synagogue שיר השירים
December 20, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
(12/20/15),
Reflection on Friday night's White Out Shabbat with the theme of "Peacefulness"...
Dear Hevreh,
Peacefulness is not a state of being, it's not a place in which we feel "at peace." Rather peacefulness is a mentality, a willingness to put our minds, bodies, and souls in the right position to feel at peace. This doesn't just happen. It's not like there's a simple breath meditation that will blow down the walls of anxiety that make us feel restless, full of worry, and concern. However through each breath meditation, each song we sing together, each conversation we have about trying to bring peace into our lives, the more likely we make peace possible. God is called oseh shalom, the maker of peace, but[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat White Out Friday Night Tag : peace shalom
October 16, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
"אם אשכחך ירושלים תשכח ימיני" -- טעם ימיני בעבור כנורותינו כי בימין נגון היתרים
- אברהם אבן עזרא על תהילים קלז:ה
"If I forget thee O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither" -- The meaning of "right hand" has to do with [playing] our violins (or musical instruments) because you use your right hand to play the strings
- Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra (12th Century, Spain) on Psalms 137:5
Dear Hevreh,
If you've ever been to Jerusalem, you'll notice that there's music always in the air. It's not the kind you hear on the radio or in a beautiful sanctuary, but the kind you hear within your soul. It's music that's been playing since the moment God saved Isaac on the top of Mt. Moriah,[...]
Category : home Israeli News Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Services Shabbat Tag : israel jerusalem rabbi rabbi's journal
August 14, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
(8/14/15),
Dear Hevreh,
I'm always trying to tinker with our Friday night and Saturday morning Shabbat experiences. It could be linking Adult learning with Tot Shabbat as we will do tomorrow morning, or it could bemeals at people's homes as we did in the Spring, or it could be a Family and Community Shabbat by the Sea experience like we'll have at the end of August, or it could be something as simple as having a dedicated Shabbat to celebrate people's smahot (special occasions). The goal is not just to change things up for the sake of change, but to find meaningful, interesting, and creative ways of connecting together as a community.[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Social Media Tag : facebook rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat shabbat message social media
June 2, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
The term "thinking outside the box" is one I find problematic. It's meant to describe someone who is creative in finding alternative ways to get things done, with the "box" symbolizing the way things normally get done. The first problem with this concept is that people or ideas labeled as "outside the box" are assumed to not care about "the box," i.e. about the usual way things get done. There is a reason why things "inside the box" have gotten done in a certain way for a long period of time. These things "inside the box" are called customs and the longevity of customs is a testament to the strength of their meaning and their usefulness. And when customs[...]
Category : Let's Do Shabbos Together Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Tag : Let's Do Shabbos Together rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat
May 8, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
Parashat Emor 2015/5775 (Triennial II) -- Shabbat Appears Everywhere Shabbat (the day of rest) is mentioned countless times in the Torah, including in this week's Torah portion of Emor (Leviticus 23:3). Why does this command appear so many different times? Isn't once enough? Today we will explore a number of places in which the Torah commands the Israelites to observe Shabbat. We will try to glean meaning from each instance using the interpretive principle of "smikhut parshiyot" (סמיכות פרשיות), which teaches us that the meaning of a text can be gleaned by understanding the context in which it is written. Please join us for this interesting class on the meanings of Shabbat!
Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class Shabbat Tag : emor Leviticus 23:3 online learning online parashah class parsha shabbat weekly torah portion אמור
March 6, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Tonight is Celebration Shabbat a chance for all of those celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, or other simhahs in March to come together in song, dance, and blessing. (Full disclosure: I will be one of the ones celebrating a birthday blessing tonight ;-) ). Yet, to be honest, every service is an opportunity to celebrate together. Whether it's checking in on our weeks or just enjoying the rituals of our tradition, there's nothing like coming together in community and celebrating our Judaism.
But in addition to these joyous kinds of celebration, there is another critical kind of celebrationthat we experience every Shabbat service. It's the celebration of life through the recitation ofkaddish for a loved one. Yes, kaddish helps us grieve, and grieving is not something[...]
Category : Celebration Shabbat Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Tag : Celebration Shabbat rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat
February 9, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
"וחי בהם" ולא שימות בהם
(תלמוד בבלי עבודה זרה כח:ב על ויקרא יח:ה)
"And you shall live by them" and not die by them
(Babylonian Talmud Avodah Zarah 27b interpreting Leviticus 18:5)
Dear Hevreh,
Ever since our people left Egypt we have been a nation of "mixed multitudes" (Exodus 12:38) an assortment of individuals and traditions from different backgrounds. Some come to share their unique backgrounds (see Jethro) and some come to experience the uniqueness of Judaism (see Aramaeans eating the Passover sacrifice). No matter the reason though Judaism has always mixed together with people and traditions from different cultures. It is part of our DNA as a wandering people.
Some would[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Tag : backgrounds beauty catholic christian community encounter environment holiness holy interaction interfaith marriage Jewish live other rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat welcoming קדושה
