“Jacob left Beer-sheba, and set out for Haran. He came upon a certain place and stopped there for the night, for the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of that place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. He had a dream; a stairway...
This weekend is Song leader Boot Camp East. It is, according to their website, “an intensive leadership training program for Rabbis, Cantors, professional songleaders, and new songleaders offering a profound exploration of the physiology, psychology, strategy, and...
Last month, the women of the Orangetown Jewish Center took a stand with the Torah and in the last two weeks, the women of Temple Beth Torah followed their example! To quote the website from the "Women of the Wall": "Let us not limit the image of a woman with a Torah...
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for me. I made it through the holidays fine, but came down with a nasty case of laryngitis, which progressed into fever, infection, and a week of misery shortly after Yom Kippur. The doctor put me on a Z-pack and a heavy dose of...
From the ACC website (http://www.accantors.org) It is our pleasure to announce those Cantors who will proudly represent the ACC in Rome this November in a concert promoting Catholic-Jewish dialogue. The concert will be held at the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli...
“You shall love the Eternal One, your G-d, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” These strange words, made familiar by sheer repetition in the V’ahavtah, appear in this week’s Torah portion, V’etchanan. A commandment to love? It doesn’t...
This coming Tuesday we will mark the Jewish observance of Tisha B’av. Tisha B’av, or the 9th day of the month of Av, is a national day of mourning for the Jewish people. According to tradition, a large number of disasters befell our people on this day. The most...
I had the unfortunate occasion to be present for many family recitations of the mourner's Kaddish when I was a child. After my grandparents died, my mom and dad always went to shul for their yahrzeits. When my mother's father passed away, I attended synagogue with her...
My mother is an incredibly talented artist. For many years now, she has used her talents for the sake of hiddur mitzvah – beautifying the mitzvah - of tallit. She painted her first tallit for the occasion of my Bat Mitzvah. It was purple flowers on white silk, a...
I walked into the hospice room with a profound sadness. This was no stranger, but she also wasn’t family, a congregant, or even a close friend. She was a mentor. She was a woman who helped teach me how to be the Cantor I am today. She was one of the strongest...