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!
November 14, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, As some of you may have already seen on Facebook, the synagogue has renewed my contract which means that I will continue to be your rabbi for at least the next 2-3 years (and hopefully longer!). Rachel and I are both very excited about staying here at Beth Mordecai and in Perth Amboy, primarily because the community has embraced us with open arms. From the services to the parties and all of the special events that bring us together, our kehillah, our community, makes us feel right at home. The word kehillah is so important. It comes from the root k-h-l meaning "gather" or "congregate." In other words, the heart of what makes a community a community is[...]
Category : Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Uncategorized Tag : kehillah kiddush rabbi's journal shabbat
November 8, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, Each of us is capable of finding our own sense of "peace." Whether it's a relaxing walk, a good book, or perhaps even coming to shul, there are certain times when our minds are relaxed and our spirits are put at ease as we experience the calming effect of...peace. How do you find a sense of peace? Have you ever wondered why there certain moments, particular environments, or perhaps even encounters with people give you that sense of peace? How is it that at one moment our hearts, minds, and souls are full of restlessness but at the very next moment we can fill ourselves with love, as the sh'ma teaches us, and thus become aware of an overwhelming feeling of[...]
Category : Rabbi's Journal Shabbat White Out Friday Night Tag : rabbi's journal shabbat shalom white out friday night
November 5, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
*Note: This message is a little longer than usual
Dear Hevreh,
When I experience the need for some musical inspiration I often turn to Spotify, a popular online music sharing service. As I'm sure many of us have, there are a number of different playlists on my Spotify account. However, there is one particular playlist that seems to be on repeat whenever I need some help thinking or writing about a topic (like I'm doing right now). That playlist is simply called "White Out Friday Night."
Last winter we ran a new Friday night program in which community members were encouraged to wear white as a symbol of the snow on the ground and the purity and holiness of Shabbat. More than[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat White Out Friday Night Tag : music rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat spirit white out friday night
October 12, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Rabbi Ari Saks Sermon for Parashat Lekh L’kha – October 12, 2013* Installation Weekend of Rabbi Moshe Saks Temple Israel, Scranton PA I want to thank the leadership team and my father, my Abba, Rabbi Moshe Saks, for extending the invitation to speak this morning about Parashat Lekh L’kha. But before I begin, I wanted to share a quick observation about my Abba, which you may or may already not know. He’s a man who loves logistics. He loves figuring out how to get from point A to point B, sometimes when you don’t even ask him to. My wife Rachel and I have developed a routine when talking to my Abba about making plans to come visit him, my Ema, and my sister[...]
Category : Rabbi Sermons Shabbat Tag : Abraham Abram leadership lekh l'kha lekh lekha Philadelphia Eagles rabbi Rabbi Moshe Saks sermons shabbat Temple Israel
August 9, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, May this Shabbat connect us to our tradition May this Shabbat connect us to our inner creativity May this Shabbat connect us to the aspiration of our souls May this Shabbat connect us to the joy of Judaism May this Shabbat connect us to our desire to do t'shuvah (repentance) May this Shabbat connect us to the sound of our inner shofar And above all, may the experience of tonight's Shabbat activities connect us with God, with each other, and with ourselves Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Ari Saks P.S. And one last thing...may the weather for this Shabbat hold out so that we can have Shabbat by the sea :) Photo taken by C. Jill Reed on Flickr -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/mulmatsherm/
Category : Ari-archive Tag : creativity prayer rabbi rabbi's journal repentance shabbat shabbat by the sea souls tradition tshuvah
August 8, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, In previous messages I've talked at length about the need to pause, to take stock of where you are in this moment in order to prepare yourself for the next moment. Shabbat is a wonderful opportunity to take that pause because it is a yom m'nuhah, a day of rest, meaning that it's primary purpose is to force us to pause the hustle and bustle of our weeks to check where we are and where we're going. With the High Holidays around the corner, what better way to check our spiritual "temperature" than with the "thermometer" of Shabbat? Especially this Shabbat, the first one of the month of Elul, a month in which we are commanded to blow the shofar[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : breathe high holidays Pause rabbi rabbi's journal Rosh Hashanah shabbat shabbat by the sea shofar Yom Kippur
July 12, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh, The Hebrew root of the word Shabbat is "lashevet," which means "to dwell." Is there not a better explanation of the essence of Shabbat than of dwelling? Dwelling is the act of remaining in place, an act which may seem easy but in fact can be very difficult. There are so many distractions, so many other things on our mind that it can be tough to simply dwell and enjoy being in our special spaces. There many different kinds of spaces we dwell in, like in our home, in the schul, or (among others) in a gazebo at the park like the one we will dwell in NEXT Friday night for Shabbat by the Sea. Yet wherever we[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : dwell home rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat shabbat by the sea לשבת
June 14, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Rhoda would have loved this Shabbat -- being outside, singing, having dinner together. She would have loved the atmosphere, the camaraderie, and the positive feelings that Shabbat by the Sea always generates. But most of all, I just think that Rhoda would have just had fun because she was such a fun person. There's something really special about coming together like we will this Shabbat, something k'oneg, something delightful.
Let's make this Shabbat as delightful as we can as we honor Rhoda Friedman z"l's memory. May it always be for a blessing.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ari Saks
Category : Ari-archive Tag : fun Oneg Shabbat Outside rabbi rabbi's journal Rhoda Friedman shabbat shabbat by the sea
March 29, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
2013/5773 -- Keeping Shabbat in Passover
Each year there are special readings for different readings. What are the special readings for Passover? Is there a unique one for the Shabbat of Passover? Come learn and enjoy the discussion together! Share your thoughts in the comments!
Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class Passover Shabbat Tag : hol hamoed joseph karo learning online learning online parashah class passover regular shabbat shulchan aruch shulkhan arukh special torah reading שולחן ערוך
March 23, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
From Transformation to Redemption: Stepping into the Red Sea and Beyond
(Shabbat Hagadol, March 23, 2013)*
Rabbi Ari Saks
Congregation Beth Mordecai
Perth Amboy, NJ
On a cold, blustery afternoon in mid-town Manhattan I sat down with Cantor David Levine, zikhrono livrakhah, may his memory be for a blessing, to discuss the upcoming High Holiday season. I was impressed with his breadth of knowledge on hazzanut, the art of cantorial music, and I was excited by his willingness to try new ideas to make the service more engaging and meaningful. Yet the most inspiring moment of my time with our beloved hazzan was[...]
Category : Passover Rabbi Sermons Shabbat Tag : cantor david levine egypt hazzanut high holidays mareh kohen passover pesah rabbi melinda zalma redemption Rosh Hashanah shabbat slavery transformation tzror hamor Yom Kippur