An inclusive congregation affiliated with the Conservative Movement.
Your Jewish Home for the Soul!
April 23, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, Whether in shul or in the news, there's been a lot of talk and conversation about the antisemitism facing Jews in Europe and the challenges Israel faces in defending itself. As well, there are fears of growing anti-Israel sentiment in America, especially on college campuses, and how those sentiments are the expression of the "new" antisemitism. Underlying all of these fears, either at home or abroad are two (similar) questions that inform the way we approach these real challenges facing the Jewish community: Can Jews and Muslims get along? Can Judaism and Islam coexist side by side? For many who say NO, they point to the practices of ISIS and the statements of Hamas and Khameini shouting Death to Israel, as if[...]
Category : Adult Education Jewish Current Events Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : adult education Burton Visotzky Jewish-Muslim rabbi rabbi's journal
April 21, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, Hebrew is hard, I know. Though I've spent many years reading, speaking, and singing Hebrew there are many times when I just don't get it. It can feel foreign, but amazingly enough, it can also feel homey. There's something about the cadence, the sound (especially those gutteral sounds that make you sound like you're coughing up something) that speaks directly to my soul, my neshamah. In my latest piece on State of Formation "Praying in Hebrew, Speaking in Tongues," I discuss how the difficulty of understanding Hebrew makes it tough to be a language of meaningful prayer when we want to know what we're saying when we pray. As such, it's important to find language in our mother tongue[...]
Category : Hebrew Publications Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : hebrew prayer Publications rabbi rabbi's journal state of formation
April 17, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
(4/17/15), This week is not an easy week for the Jewish people. Yom Hashoah uGvurah (Day of Holocaust Remembrance and Resistance) is a solemn occasion in which we recall the chaos of the murder of six million Jews at the hands of the Nazis. As I expressed during the Yom Hashoah commemoration at the JCC on Wednesday night, there is no good or easy way to explain or understand the chaos. All we can do is engage in rituals -- candle lighting, readings, music, and storytelling -- to help make some order out of the chaos, to help find the light amidst the darkness. The juxtaposition of light and darkness was not only seen through the smiling faces of clergy[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : #NeverAgain holocaust israel JCC of Middlesex light perth amboy rabbi rabbi's journal Yom Haatzmaut Yom Hashoah
April 1, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, There was a moment during this past Saturday's Cantor Showcase, there was a moment when I closed my eyes and the Cantor's voice filled them with tears. It wasn't just that she sang a beautiful piece, but that it was sung in our magnificent sanctuary. My tears reflected the sublime joy of the special kind of Judaism we experience in our shul. So how do we create more moments like that? By coming together on a frequent basis to experience the joy of Judaism as a community. When we spend more time together we will inevitably think about, discuss, plan, and execute the kinds of programs that grow our shul. Programs like... Passover "Shabbat" Seder on Saturday Evening at 5 pm [...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : adult education cantor showcase Cantorial Showcase Jewish muslim programming rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat by the sea weekly services
March 25, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
אלו דברים שאדם אוכל פירותיהן בעולם הזה והקרן קיימת לו לעולם הבא: כיבוד אב ואם, וגמילות חסדים, והבאת שלום בין אדם לחברו. ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולם (משנה פאה א:א) These are the fruits a person eats from in this world which will carry over to the next world: honoring your father and mother, doing acts of kindness, and making peace between your fellow man. But the study of Torah is greater than them all (Mishnah Peah 1:1) Dear Hevreh, Today was a day of Torah learning. Not the kind you just get in a book, but the unique kind you get through conversations and the sharing of knowledge among friends. Just check out the Facebook updates on #LearnWithTheRabbi and[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : ask the rabbi Learn with the Rabbi Mishnah Peah 1:1 rabbi rabbi's journal Talmud Torah torah unique torah משנה פאה א:א תלמוד תורה כנגד כולם
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 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
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
December 12, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, As I've often remarked, Shabbat is a wonderful time to rest. It's a chance to break from the usual grind of work and life to take a moment and reflect. Yet, this Shabbat I'm thinking of another kind of "break" that also comes from the root of the word Shabbat (Sh-b/v-t) meaning "to rest;" yhat word is Sh'vitah which means "strike." In particular, sh'vitah refers to the actions of a group of people (usually workers) to STOP what they're doing in order to achieve some kind of goal (i.e. better wages, better working conditions, etc.). What is remarkable about the term sh'vitah (especially as it relates to Shabbat) is that by its very root it indicates that when someone (or some group)[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Tag : rabbi rabbi's journal rest shabbat shvitah strike שביתה
December 6, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
In less than 15 hours, hundreds of little rubber ducks will be floating and racing in the pool at the YMCA of Raritan Bay for the 2nd Annual Perth Amboy Rubber Duck Race. As many of you recall, last year's inaugural race was preceded by much inquiry (what's a rubber duck race?) and fanfare as we attempted the first stand-a-lone fundraiser for the synagogue in years. It was a special experience with lots of fun pictures and (a video!) captured to immortalize the event in the annals of our synagogue's history. It was a day I will not soon forget. This year, the feeling is different but just as significant. It's different because there has been less inquiry and less fanfare[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Rubber Duck Race Tag : rabbi rabbi's journal rubber duck race ymca