Rabbi's Weekly Message
Perashat Vayigash 5779
Friday, December 14, 2018What do the rise of Rock and Roll, desegregation in schools, the crowning of Queen Elizabeth and the discovery of DNA and the Polio vaccine have in common? They all happened in the 1950's. Something else also happened which fewer people remember, the birth of Yoshitaka Sakurada. "Who is Yoshitaka Sakurada?", I am guessing you are asking yourself....
Read more...Perashat Mikess 5779
Friday, December 07, 2018The stakes are high, and the drama is intense. For all intents and purposes Yosef has thrown down the gauntlet. The brothers are at his mercy. "You are spies...If you want to live, this is what you will do. I will arrest one of you (Shimon) and the rest will return to Canaan and bring me your youngest brother!"...
Read more...Perashat Vayesheb 5779
Friday, November 30, 2018Love is a powerful thing. However, a perceived lack of love might be even more powerful. Yaakob's uneven love for Rachel and Leah sets the stage for much of the drama that unfolds. The names of at least six of his children are largely influenced by that love and attention. Reuben is called by that name as if to say, "Hashem has seen my humiliation, for now my husband will truly love me". The same can be said of Shimon, who is called by that name for "Hashem has heard that I am unloved". Indeed, Levi, Gad, Yissachar and Zebulun are all variations of the same theme! Their names speak to the fact that Leah felt that Yaakob loved Rachel more and Leah's longing to be loved in the same way.
Read more...Perashat Vayishlah 5779
Friday, November 23, 2018When we think of war, we rarely think of family. Yet that is exactly the circumstance Yaakob finds himself in. Torn between the desire to protect his family and retain his moral peaceful self Yaakob is plagued by contradictory feelings. “Vayeera Yaakob Meod Vayetzer Lo”, "And Yaakob was very frightened and he was distressed..."
Read more...Perashat Vayesse 5779
Friday, November 16, 2018Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. So I moved here from London just four months ago. Yes, we do get a decent amount of rain, but we don't get all that much snow. Any snow whatsoever shuts the whole country down. They just can't deal with it. "In New York," they said, "they REALLY know how to deal with snow. The streets are cleared. The plows are out in force, and the streets are salted more than kosher meat." (Ok fine, no one says that last part.) ...
Read more...Perashat Toledot 5779
Friday, November 09, 2018Every word in the Torah is layered with meaning and purpose. When something is given a lot of coverage then it clearly demands our attention. The Torah spends a lot of time talking about our Forefathers' struggles to have children. First is the long, difficult wait for Abraham and Sarah. Then we read about Ribka and Yitzhak and the depth of their prayers for children. Then there is Rachel who says to Yaakob, "Give me children! For if you can't I will die". ...
Read more...Perashat Haye Sarah 5779
Friday, November 02, 2018To my dear congregation, Nearly a week has passed since the tragic news hit us that an evil and senseless violence destroyed a community and broke the hearts of a Nation. A darkness has descended upon us all. We watched clip after clip, news story after news story, swallowing up any and all details we could get our hands on. Perhaps we were driven by a desperate hope that if we saw enough, read enough, and discussed it enough, we might understand. ...
Read more...Perashat Vayera 5779
Friday, October 26, 2018Abraham is promised that his children will be like the stars in the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. Yet, as we are all too well aware, we Jews are amongst the smallest of nations. What happened to God's promise? ...
Read more...Perashat Lekh Lekha 5779
Friday, October 19, 201854 years is a long time. Just ask any Rangers fan. We went 54 years before winning another Stanley Cup in '94. I'll never forget Nick Kypreos hoisting the Cup like it was Simhat Torah on ice. As he skated by the roaring crowd a historic photo was snapped, the trophy raised to the heavens under a sign that simply read, "Now I can die in peace!". 54 years. It takes a lot to win a championship. It's not something you can just dowhenever you like. It's not as if there is one small problem you could just fix, and that would be that. Because surely something like that wouldn't take 54 years, right? ...
Read more...Perashat Noah 5779
Friday, October 12, 2018Le'Veon Bell and Noah Pittsburgh is home of one of my favorite things in the world. Heinz Ketchup. But for all of its tomato-ey goodness, it is not a hot topic issue in the city today. Known as the "Steel City" and the "City of Bridges", there are precisely ZERO 'bridges' being built by the 'Steelers'.
Read more...Apr 19 2024
Nisan 11 5784