This weekend our congregation goes on retreat in Malibu–rain or shine.  As part of our 18th anniversary celebration a group of committed volunteers organized an adult retreat.  We call it our Shabbaton! At the wonderful Camp JCA Shalom, 40 of us will welcome Shabbat, sing, study, do a little Tai Chi, take a musical Shabbat hike, eat…Read more »

Today is  the anniversary of the landmark court decision Roe V. Wade. On January 22, 1973 the U.S. Supreme Court decided in a 7 -2 decision in favor of Norma McCorvey who was  Roe  at the time.  The decision said that abortion was a fundamental right under the United States Constitution and therefore any law restricting abortion…Read more »

Parshat Bo       Exodus 10:1-13:16 These three chapters of the book of Exodus are incredibly pivotal moments in the narrative of the Israelites.  This week’s portion, Bo, has the final confrontations between Moses and Pharaoh. The last of the plagues are sent upon Egypt by God because Pharaoh refuses to negotiate the release of the Hebrew…Read more »

Dear friends and readers consider this your invitation!  I would like to invite you to join me and the other Los Angeles area contributors to the amazing new book-Torah Queeries for an evening of Q & A on Thursday, night February  11th at 7:30 pm.  Editor Gregg Drinkwater will join us at Congregation Kol Ami (1200 N.…Read more »

This past weekend Pope Benedict XVI visited the main Roman synagogue. In part this was to coincide with  January 17th, a date that his predecessor John Paul II made a day of remembrance of a Roman anti-semitic attack that took place in 1793.  John Paul declared that this commemoration should be a day of Judeo-Christian reflection.  This…Read more »

Today in Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  America takes off this Monday to honor the amazing courage and genius of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  His tenacity, his spirituality and his sense of human dignity transformed our world.  Tragically the assassin’s bullet put a stop to his life in April of 1968.  But the bullet…Read more »

Today I had the privilege of meeting with some young LGBTQ college students at the annual NUJLS conference. NUJLS for those of you who are uninitiated is the National Union of Jewish  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, and Intersex Students. Annually this group conducts a wonderful conference at some university in the U.S.  Students…Read more »

Shabbat Shalom World.  This is the day of rest.  On the seventh day God rested from all the work of creation says the book of Genesis. Did God kick back and chill? Did God simply look around and admire the creation?  Did the process need time to stew?  What is the rest for this day?  Is it refraining from…Read more »

This morning I had the privilege and honor of speaking briefly at the annual Martin Luther King Interfaith Prayer Breakfast here in Los Angeles sponsored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.  Several religious leaders were asked to share their thoughts on this King Day.  Today is actually Dr. King’s birthday. He would have been 81.…Read more »

Parshat Vayera Exodus 6:2 -9:35 Why does God reveal God’s intimate name twice to Moses?  In the book of Exodus in this week’s portion, Vayera, God is still speaking from the midst of the bush that is not consumed by flames. Ironically we call it the burning bush.  Last week in Parshat Shemot God called…Read more »