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!
April 8, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
As we approach our final week of preparation for the holiday of Passover, my mind turns to the art of telling the story of Passover. Stories are more than simply their content, they are the methods, the timing, the layers of how that content is shared, and the story of Passover is no different.
Our primary method of telling the story of Passover is through the reading of the Haggadah at the Passover seder. It is an ancient ritual, but not that ancient. The seder was crafted by the rabbis of the Tannaitic period (approximately 100-300 CE), which means that this scene most definitely never happened. So how was the story of Passover shared prior to the seder?
We get a hint at the answer by virtue of the fact that the haggadah itself[...]
Category : Passover Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : haggadah meaning passover rabbi rabbi's journal rabbis seder stories story storytelling
September 23, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, I could be mistaken, but I don't think many of us find the act of starting our cars a meaningful moment in our day. For those who drive regularly, it is a mundane occurrence that we don't think about (until that inopportune moment when our cars won't start). Yet there I was, sitting in my car on Friday morning, about to turn on the ignition and feeling lots of butterflies in my stomach as if I was walking into a room full of teenagers. All of a sudden, a simple act that I have done countless times in my life became a spiritual test, full of meaning. Why was this ignition start different than all other ignition starts? Because[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Sukkot Tag : car innovation meaning rabbi rabbi's journal sukkot vulnerability
August 13, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Wow, what an incredible Shabbat. The music, the dancing, the spirit, the views by the bay, the delicious food...everything about Shabbat by the Sea this past Friday was amazing! With nearly 60 people at our unique service and over 40 people at our community dinner, it was a highlight event for our Jewish Home for the Soul.
Check out this link for some pre-Shabbat pictures from Shabbat by the Sea!
Yet the moment that really did it for me, the moment in which I knew we really hit on something, the moment in which I knew what we did was "soulful," was when Alan Siegel mentioned to me that "it wasn't just fun, it was also meaningful."
That comment, more than[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : dancing holidays meaning rabbi rabbi's journal rubber duck race shabbat by the sea soul soulfulness trips
July 10, 2012 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, I am very excited because I am on my way to New York City today! It'll be nice to step out onto the streets I called home for over a decade, but more than anything else, this trip is about a threefold commitment I am making to our community: 1) PROVIDING MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES - This morning I will be meeting with Cantor Levine to start working on High Holiday services that are meaningful, spiritual, and relevant to our Jewish community. These are the kinds of activities that get me very excited and I look forward to being part of a team (which can include all of you!) to provide high quality spiritual experiences. I am psyched for the High Holidays[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Tag : community high holidays meaning meaningful experiences new york one on one rabbi rabbi's journal wisdom