Here is the translation of the first two verses that I chanted from this week's Torah portion, Bshalach. And God said to Moses, 'Why do you cry out to me? Speak to the children of Israel that they should move! And you,…
One day the Pharoah awoke in his bed, there were frogs on his pillow and frogs on his bed. Frogs on his nose and frogs on his toes. Frogs here … Frogs there … Frogs were jumping everywhere.
Our rabbis point to this week's Torah portion, Vayigash, as a central story of t'suvah. Many years earlier, Joseph's brothers sold Joseph into slavery. They deceived their father into thinking that his youngest and most…
In this portion, Jacob does tsuvah. Earlier, he and his mother conspired so that his dying father Isaac would bestow a blessing upon Jacob instead of on the first-born, Esau. Fearful for his life, Jacob ran away from…
This morning, many of my colleagues and friends were commenting on an article in the New York Times. It was the front page of the New York Regional section. It begins with an upsetting headline: Swastikas, Slurs and…
How many people here love Halloween? I do. As a kid, my mom and I would carve pumpkins and then make pumpkin seeds with lots of salt on them. I love putting together elaborate Halloween costumes and then parading around…
Abraham got circumcised when he was 99, in this Torah portion. His changed name of Avraham highlights the importance of the sacred covenant between himself and God. We now see him acting, praying, and thinking as a…
I want to talk about Geography. Immediately after Adam and Eve eat from the forbidden fruit, they hear the sound of God walking in the garden. They hide in the bushes, presumably ashamed at themselves for disobeying the…
(singing)
God said to Noah, we’re going to build an arky arky God said to Noah we’re going to build an arky arky. Build it out of gopher barky barky, Children of the Lord.
I was so excited to see the new Superman movie, Man of Steel. A friend and I went to the new movie theatre next to Lowe's, found ourselves seats that weren't too close to the screen ... weren't too far back ... and…