Archive | Elul Reflections

Cantorial Soloist Jenna Sagan This summer, I had the opportunity to attend a baseball game with my congregation’s brotherhood. With thousands of my fellow passionate Angels fans, we cheered and clapped as our team scored run after run. At one point, the opposing team’s catcher made an error, allowing our runner to score. As the […]

Rabbi K’vod Wieder To do the work of repair of our relationships and true renewal of our lives, we need to be willing to vulnerable. We need to acknowledge where we haven’t been our best selves in our relationships with others and with God. In order to show this vulnerability, we need to believe that […]

Rabbi Sarah DePaolo After months of only the occasional workout, I recently started lifting weights again. On that first day back at the gym I picked up the same weights I had always used, and felt myself strain to finish a set that was easy a year ago. I had gleefully returned to working out, […]

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker Reflecting on our lives, our mistakes and how to do better can be difficult. Let’s remember our faults – all the times we messed up… who wants to do that – focus in on our mistakes? Fortunately, we have a good role model when it comes to imperfections. For while it is […]

Rabbi Richard Steinberg The 1st of Tishrei we will welcome the new Jewish Year.  The Hebrew word Rosh means “Head” in English.  The Hebrew word “Shana” means “Year” in English.  However, you may know that Hebrew is made up of three letter roots.  And the root of the word “Shana” literally means “change.” This spiritual […]

Rabbi Gersh Zylberman It is often claimed that for every two Jews there are three opinions. Some doubt this assertion, arguing that for three opinions you only need one Jew! When it comes to Jewish identity, there are an infinite number of viewpoints. Some emphasize peoplehood in their connection to Judaism. For others, it is […]

Rabbi Alan E. Litwak : Happy Birthday! The expression “shouting into the wind” connotes the act of trying to communicate, fruitlessly. When someone shouts into the wind, the idea is that no one can hear you and you are wasting time and energy to no avail. It is similar to “talking to a brick wall.” […]

Rabbi Nico Socolovsky Asking to see more clearly Life without Teshuva is like being condemned to dwell in Plato’s allegorical Cave… It is to perceive the world under a mechanism that makes me believe that the shadows and echoes projected on the wall of my ego they are the reality.   The month of Elul […]

Rabbi Heidi Cohen For my birthday today, my husband Matt and I are giving me a very strange gift, we are taking our daughter Dahvi to college! (We’re in Washington, DC as this is posted.) Where did the past 18 years go? I guess you can say this is the gift of new beginnings. It […]

Rabbi Brad Levenberg We have come once again to that sacred time on the Jewish calendar where it is appropriate to take stock of the many blessings in our lives and to offer our thanksgiving to God. When reflecting upon the blessing for this particular day I realized how apparent it is that we as […]