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!
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
March 20, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
Parashat Vayikra 2015/5775 (Triennial II) -- All for One and One for All
The first verse of this week's triennial Torah portion (Leviticus 3:1) speaks of the "zevah sh'lamim korbano," the offering of the sacrifice of well-being. This sacrifice is the third of six sacrifices described in the early chapters of Leviticus (burnt, grain, well-being, sin, guilt, and thanksgiving). The key Hebrew root embedded in the offering of the sacrifice of well-being is "sh-l-m" meaning peace or wholeness. The rabbis in the Sifra, a 3rd century CE midrash on Leviticus, teaches us that because it contains the root "sh-l-m," the well-being sacrifice contains within it all of the other sacrifices so that TOGETHER they bring peace/wholeness to the world AND that[...]
Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class Tag : action collective history leviticus musketeers online learning online parashah class peace sacrifice shalom vayikra weekly torah portion well-being wholeness ויקרא שלום
February 13, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
(2/13/15),
Sometimes inspiration hits you like a bolt of lightning, sometimes it comes after deep introspection and reflection. And at other times, it comes in the shape of a tweet that is 140 characters or less:
Eli Kogan @elikogan 17m17 minutes ago
Shabbat shalom! Candle lighting tonight 5:10 pm (in NYC). Make kiddush not war! ;) Have a great Shabbos!
Make kiddush, not war...
This witty quip particularly resonates with me this week. Perhaps, with a little tongue in cheek, "making kiddush" is associated with the theme of this weekend's national holiday. Or perhaps, more soberly, it's because "war" intimates "violence" and we are coming off a week in which violence has[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : chapel hill community fellowship kiddush laugh peace rabbi rabbi's journal together valentine's day war
September 9, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
On Sunday afternoon, our beautiful sanctuary was filled with words that were provocative, engaging, timely, and deeply powerful on the challenges of Israeli-Palestinian peace. They are words that many of us are still digesting, and will continue to digest especially through the High Holidays. They are words that teach us that there can be multiple truths to a single reality, and it is possible (albeit painful) to hold those two truths as equally valid.
And as these powerful words were shared by our guests Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger and Ali Abu Awwad, we were there to listen to them. 115 people from far and wide in the Jewish community of Middlesex community were present in our beautiful sanctuary to hear these[...]
Category : American Jewish News Israeli News Perth Amboy News Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : Ali Abu Awaad community israel israel event Palestine Palestinian peace perth amboy Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger speaker success
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
December 4, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Kids in Israel giving hope for peace.
Category : Israeli News Jewish Current Events Tag : israel israeli news jewish current events kids peace
July 13, 2012 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, In these few hours before Shabbat begins, I just want to leave us with a few blessings wherever we find ourselves this Shabbat... May this Shabbat be one of peace... May this Shabbat be one of understanding and forgiving... May this Shabbat be one of rediscovering our passions and loves... May this Shabbat be one of trying something new... May this Shabbat fill us with joy, love and appreciation for the beauty of life... Have a wonderful Shabbat. Kol Tuv, Rabbi Ari Saks P.S. can't wait to see those of us who come to Shabbat by the Sea!
Category : Ari-archive Tag : peace rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat shabbat by the sea