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 5, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
This is the third of a three part journal series previewing this Sunday's Israeli-Palestinian speaker event "One Land, Two Worlds, One Painful Hope"
Dear Hevreh,
The Jewish people have been through a lot in over 4000 years of our history. Expulstions, crusades, the Holocaust, you name it and it seems the Jewish people have survived it. So to say that a dialogue between a Palestinian and an Israeli is a "litmus test" for the Jewish people is rather facetious. If all of Jewish life is like an incredible Impressionist painting, then Sunday's event would be a single dot from the artist's brush.
That being said, anyone turning on the news today knows that the conversation in our sanctuary on Sunday is relevant to[...]
Category : Israeli News Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : dialogue extremist israel jewish people litmus test Palestine Palestinian rabbi rabbi's journal settlers terrorists Test
September 4, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
This is the second of a three part journal series previewing this Sunday's Israeli-Palestinian speaker event "One Land, Two Worlds, One Painful Hope"
Dear Hevreh,
A year in a half ago, in the spring of 2013, we participated in a wonderful event celebrating the birthday of the State of Israel. There were lots of activities for families, some excellent food, a concert, and some learning. We strongly advertised for and we had a good turnout -- It was a terrific event for our community.
And by the way...it was held at Neve Shalom in Metuchen.
Someone once told me rather facetiously that if they had it their way, we should "lock the doors" when people come into the synagogue, as a way of[...]
Category : Middlesex Jewish News Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : JCC JCC of Middlesex Jewish Federation klal yisrael litmus test middlesex jewish news Neve Shalom partnership rabbi rabbi's journal Temple Emanu-El
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 29, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
A poem for tonight's Shabbat by the Sea
The view
Speaks in a language
Only the heart knows
The voice of Adonai thunders over rushing waters (click link, p.7)
The people
Sing in a voice
Only the heart hears
The voice of Adonai stirs the wilderness (click link, p.7)
The time
Whispers in a hush
Only the heart feels
The voice of Adonai echoes with majesty (click link, p.7)
May all who who come to God's eternal sanctuary share together
How vast
How beautiful
How glorious is
Shabbat...
...especially when you're by the Sea
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ari Saks
Category : Ari-archive Tag : beauty poem rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat shabbat by the sea shabbat message songs
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