Never Stop Speaking

Yom Kippur 5778 – Yizkor Six weeks ago, I traveled to Atlanta to give a talk commemorating the yahrzeit of an old friend who passed away very suddenly, in his 50’s, a man named Moishe Esral.  What was most striking about the experience was the clarity I received from...

The Beauty of Rav Yochanan

Yom Kippur 5778, Neilah The Talmud (TB Berachos 5b) tells a story about how during Rabbi Eliezer’s final illness Rav Yochanan came to visit him.  Rav Yochanan was a strikingly beautiful person, who literally lit up the room.  But in the light, Rav Yochanan saw that...

Core Goodness & Boundless Potential

Rosh Hashana 5778- Evening תקעו בחדש שופר בכסה ליום חגינו כי חק לישראל הוא משפט לאלקי יעקב Sound the Shofar at the moon’s renewal, at the appointed time for our festive day, for it is a decree for Israel, judgment day for the G-d of Yaakov. We will recite this verse...

Making Things Better- For Our Singles

As we consider during this month of Elul how we can make things better, an area that deserves our attention – and where we can certainly do a lot better – is how we as a community treat the singles in our midst. Here are some specific ideas and impressions,...