Chaverim, As I sit in my office writing, the world outside is literally on fire. The smoke in the air is suffocating, and this from a fire all the way in Chico. The air feels like a fitting backdrop to the state of our world: on fire in every direction. There is immense fear, and […]
November 2, 2018 / 24 Cheshvan 5779 Dear Friends, Tonight’s 6:30pm Shabbat service, as always, is our monthly family service. Congregants and friends with young children are especially encouraged to attend, and B’nai Tikvah being the kind of synagogue it is, the rest of our community is also welcome. We will also be participating in […]
Chaverim, The older I get, and the more deeply my heart breaks at the lack of compassion and respectful communication in the world, the more I believe that our healing and survival are going to depend on people learning to talk to each other. Specifically, people who have opposing views of the world need to […]
Chaverim, Have you ever wondered why Yom Kippur is the best-attended day of the entire Jewish year? So many Jews belong to synagogues, send their kids to religious school, and only show up on the most serious and intense day of our ritual calendar. It really tells you something about the Jewish people! Why, for […]
I In 1991, the groundbreaking play “Angels in America” by the phenomenally gifted Tony Kushner premiered at our own Eureka Theater in San Francisco. Part One, called “Millenium Approaches” opened perhaps ironically and perhaps not, with a funeral. The grandmother of one of the main characters was eulogized as one among many who risked […]
I met one of my very best friends in the lobby of the Newark airport hotel 21 years ago. We had both just graduated from college and it was day one of our adventure with Project Otzma, a program that sent new college graduates to Israel for a year of learning, teaching and adventure. They […]
I There is a story told long ago of a bird — the most beautiful bird in the world — which flew into a kingdom. The king immediately took notice of the bird, for its feathers were radiant and it flew swiftly and with great majesty. The king realized that although he owned many […]
Dear Friends, The following message is comprised of reflections on our High Holiday services over the past two years. Guess what? With all that has changed and will change in our community, they still hold true. I hope reading them again sets the stage for a Shana Tovah for all of you. It is told […]
Chaverim, Last year, I began to cultivate a friendship with Reverend Jim Burgquist of Orinda Community Church, after he invited me, Rabbi Gutterman and the Shir Joy band to provide the music for his worship service one Sunday morning. That experience was so joyful, and so hopeful, that it dared us to dream of creating […]
