From the Rabbi's Desk

The Haggadah instructs us בכל דור ודור חייב אדם לראות את עצמו כאלו הוא יצא מן מצרים/in each and every generation a person is obligated to see themselves as having gone out of Egypt. This declarative statement is a way of demonstrating the enormous obligation each of us has on Passover. We have to not merely read about the Exodus, we have to put ourselves in the narrative and live the Exodus. Doing...Read more...

Who we are today is intrinsically linked to the actions we take, decisions we make, and experiences of all the days leading up to now. In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Ki Tissa, Aaron and the Israelites make a decision that has an everlasting impact on the Jewish people. Moses is still on Mount Sinai, and the Jewish people are anxiously waiting for his return. They begin to lose faith, and decide to create a new god for themselves - a...Read more...

As we have begun the month of Adar, it’s time to turn our attention to the wonderful holiday of Purim. Each year we gather to celebrate our continued survival in spite of the hate thrown our way. Each year we gather to recognize we are the only ancient people still around in the western world because of something that burns within us. There are four unique mitzvot to the holiday of Purim: