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!
June 13, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Today I had the privilege of traveling to Washington Heights in NYC to attend the bris of my cousin's newborn son. It's always enjoyable to be a part of a simhah and see the joyous faces of my cousin, his wife, and the new grandparents. But it was the reaction from my grandparents who were welcoming their second great grandchild into the family that really made this day special. Their happiness, their joy at being able to reach this occasion of having multiple great-grandchildren was palpable. It reinforced for me the notion that as we get older we become more appreciative of every moment we have and especially of every simhah we enjoy. Life becomes an experience to cherish as the gift that it is. So thank[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : gift life mommom poppop rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat shabbat by the sea shehehiyanu שהחיינו
June 11, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
One of the joys of being in Perth Amboy is living near the Raritan Bay. Years ago the beaches of Sadowsky Parkway were lined by sun-bathers and sand-castle builders -- it was the Jersey shore before the Jersey shore. Yet even though the tourists may have left, the breathtaking views and the pleasant environment remain. Yes, living by the Raritan Bay here in Perth Amboy is a joy, and you can feel that joy at its apex when we gather in Bayview Park for Shabbat by the Sea.
Shabbat by the Sea, especially by this sea, affords us an opportunity to return to the roots of the Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat service, when Jews would leave their little shtibels and go out in the fields to[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : awesome jersey shore nature perth amboy rabbi rabbi's journal raritan bay sanctuary shabbat by the sea splendor
June 10, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Over the past few years, our congregation has made some great strides in building the bonds and relationships that form the foundation of our tight knit Jewish Home for the Soul. Yet, as it has often been mentioned, if we're going to continue to thrive then we need to grow as a congregation. If we're going to continue to prosper, then we need to reach out to attract more people to be a part of our congregation.
So what does our approach to outreach look like? It looks like what's happening this week...
This past Saturday morning, we welcomed the Levy family, who are affiliated with Cantor Avima Darnov's hebrew school called "The Hebrew Corner," and their guests into our sanctuary[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : bar and bat mitzvah big tent judaism Cantorial Showcase hebrew corner Jewish Federation jewish outreach institute joi outreach rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat by the sea unaffiliated young people
June 6, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
As we come out of a holiday full of meaningful Torah learning, I am reminded that no matter how enjoyable, how meaningful, or how special Torah learning can be it is not always easy to find the time to continue our learning. The blessing we are supposed to recite before learning Torah -- Barukh Attah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh Ha-Olam Asher Kid'shanu B'mitzvotav V'tzivanu La-asok B'divrei Torah (Blessed Are You God King of the Universe Who Has Sanctified Us with Your Commandments and Commanded Us To Busy Ourselves With the Words of Torah) -- teaches us that like any business or occupation, Torah learning needs our time and effort.
Yet, how often do we actually busy ourselves with Torah? If we're[...]
Category : Bar and Bat Mitzvah Bar Mitzvah Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Shavuot Tag : avima darnov bar and bat mitzvah hebrew corner partnership rabbi rabbi's journal rabbis shabbat shavuot torah
June 3, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
During this past Shabbat and Annual Meeting, I shared my philosophy of Unique Torah -- how the Unique Stories of our lives can turn into the teachings of our Unique Torah when we share it and connect it so something greater than ourselves. This philosophy is not only predicated on expanding the definition of "Torah" from the Torah read on the bimah to the Torah (i.e. teachings) we learn from our relationships and our personal experiences of life, but also to seeing this expanded definition of Torah as having the potential to be exalted, godly, and divine, as if it was also revealed by God at Mt. Sinai.
As such, our celebration of Shavuot, in which we recall how[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shavuot Tag : mt. sinai rabbi rabbi's journal torah unique stories unique torah
May 30, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Each of us has a journey, a path that takes us from one place to another but, like the Israelites through the desert, that path is often more circuitous than straight. Why? Why can't our journeys be straight and direct? Perhaps because though circuitous every stop is purposeful, full of meaning. The people we meet, the places we visit, the food we eat, every experience of life has something to teach us so that at the end of that convulated journey we become the people we are meant to be. And when we see make meaning of each of those experiences, when we tie our Unique Stories into the greater meaning of life -- God, Judaism, eternity, faith --[...]
Category : Cantorial Showcase Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : Cantorial Showcase history Jewish scientists jose lopez journey pictures rabbi rabbi's journal story unique stories unique torah
May 28, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
(5/28/14) Torah is more than just the stories of our ancestors or the stories of our tradition. Torah is made up of the stories of our lives. Each day we wake up and add another verse, hoping that the story we are creating has lasting value and impact. One of the ways to make our stories have lasting value is to connect them and see them in the context of the values and teachings within the eternal Torah of our people. That's the intersection comprising our Unique Torah, where the Torah of our lives meets with the Torah of our tradition to become a Lasting Teaching, a teaching that emanates from our hearts and resonates throughout history. On Friday Night, we will have an[...]
Category : Cantorial Showcase Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : billy joel Cantorial Showcase hashkivenu lives rabbi rabbi's journal songs tradition unique torah השכיבנו
May 27, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Last week I talked about how the growth of our community can be seen in our ability to run multiple programs during the weekend. This weekend provides another opportunity for us to display that growth with our Cantor Showcase (Friday 8 pm), Scholar-In-Residence (Saturday 11 am) and Annual Congregational Meeting (Sunday 10 am).
But why should you come out to these events? What's their value to you as an individual and to us as a community?
Over the course of the week I will be sharing individual journal entries about each of these particular programs and events to explain how they represent some of the most exciting and important values of our community. But in the meantime,[...]
Category : Adult Education Cantorial Showcase Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : adult education apple Cantorial Showcase community rabbi rabbi's journal scholar in residence unique torah value your verse
May 26, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
As I was preparing to sit down to write these words, I came across an email from the National Jewish Outreach Program (NJOP) sharing the story of Jewish American soldier, Sergeant David Rosenkrantz, who was killed in World War II. I read his story after watching President Obama share the stories of children, spouses, and parents who also made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their nation. These stories, while powerful and moving, also left an indelible impression that the purpose of Memorial Day is not to rally our country behind the shared ideals that are worth protecting and make us all American, but to honor the individuals and the families who actually protect America, thus[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : america Memorial Day parashah discussion patriotism rabbi rabbi's journal sacrifice
May 23, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, Every Shabbat we gather together to sing the joys of life, to share the moments the matter, to offer our prayers on behalf of those who are ill, and to recall the memory of our loved ones. In short, every Shabbat we have an opportunity to appreciate all that is contained within life. Some weeks we are more joyous, some weeks we are more sad, but all weeks are necessary parts of the fabric of life. So whether you are sad, happy, concerned, excited, curious, upset, or all of the emotions in between, join us this Shabbat, at 8 pm tonight and 10 am tomorrow to share these important feelings of life together. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Ari Saks P.S. For those[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Tag : joy life rabbi rabbi's journal sadness shabbat