Temple Beth Abraham

December 5, 2022

Hope, Chanukkah, and the Dreidel

This is one version of a D'var Torah I have given in a few variations at different times, around Chanukkah and even once on Rosh Hashanah! I have only a couple of Chanukkah sermons, and in fact you may have heard me give a version of this in years past and even on a Rosh… Continue reading

Calendar, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Current Affairs, History, Holidays, Hope, Joy, Patience, Prayer, Shabbat, Synagogue, Temple Beth Abraham, Tikkun Olam
June 20, 2022

In the Midst, All at Once: A Torah for Pride 5782

This was the D'var Torah I gave for Parashat B’haalotcha on June 18, 2022. When the same passage of Torah comes at you from four different sources the same week, you have to pay attention. I always look forward to Parashat B’haalotcha because it’s the start of the frisky Torah, the Torah of complaining. It’s… Continue reading

B’haalotcha, Conservative Judaism, Current Affairs, Education, Equality, Ethics, GLBT, Inclusion, Jewish Education, Justice, LGBTQ+, Parashat Hashavua, Synagogue, Temple Beth Abraham, Teshuvah, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
February 1, 2022

Na’aseh V’Nishma Meets Yes-And

This was my D'var Torah on Shabbat morning, Saturday, January 29, on Parashat Mishpatim. When I was trying to decide whether to apply to rabbinical school, as a senior in college, I gave myself an ultimatum: I would not apply until I was putting on tefillin every day. Tefilllin are basically mezuzas but for the… Continue reading

Education, Freedom, Holidays, Jewish Education, Midrash, Mishpatim, Parashat Hashavua, Patience, Prayer, Rabbi, Shabbat, Spirituality, Study, Synagogue, Tefillin, Temple Beth Abraham, Theology
June 28, 2021

Ships, Planks, and Storms — Looking Back and Ahead

These were my words of Torah at the start of Temple Beth Abraham's annual congregational meeting on June 15, 2021. Though they refer specifically to that occasion in places, I think the Torah here is apt for all of us as we reflect on the past fifteen months and the transitions we in, each in our own… Continue reading

Calendar, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, Hope, Middot, Patience, Prayer, Soul, Spirituality, Study, Synagogue, Talmud, Temple Beth Abraham, Torah, USA
March 15, 2021

A Year in the Desert — Reflections One Year Later

This was my D'var Torah on Saturday, March 13, 2021. Shabbat Ha-Chodesh is the name for the Shabbat that precedes the start of the month when Pesach occurs. These are some of my reflections on the past year of the Covid-19 pandemic; one piece can hardly say it all. Shabbat Ha-Chodesh, this day in the… Continue reading

Calendar, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, Election, Health Care, History, Holidays, Jewish Education, Justice, Leadership, Parashat Hashavua, Pekudei, Prayer, Shabbat, Shabbat Hachodesh, Spirituality, Synagogue, Temple Beth Abraham, Torah, Tzedek, USA, Vayakhel, Web/Tech, Youth
December 21, 2020

Dreaming of Better Than Normal

(Photo: deviantart.com) This is the Dvar Torah I gave on Saturday, December 19, 2020. It was the Shabbat immediately following Chanukkah. Today is what I call the ninth day of Chanukkah. What do we see after we have finished lighting a full chanukkiah? Do we keep an afterimage, do we see in our mind’s eye… Continue reading

Calendar, Chanuka, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, Holidays, Hope, Leadership, Miketz, Parashat Hashavua, Temple Beth Abraham, Tikkun Olam, USA
September 24, 2020

My Rosh Hashanah Sermons 5781 (2020)

Rosh Hashanah 5781 (2020) Day 1 6 Feet Closer Rosh Hashanah 5781 (2020) Day 2 Hope Continue reading

Calendar, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, Election, Elul, Ethics, High Holidays, History, Holidays, Inclusion, Middot, Rosh Hashanah, Spirituality, Temple Beth Abraham, Teshuvah, Tikkun Olam, Torah, USA, Yamim Noraim
May 13, 2020

Thoughts About High Holy Days From the Perspective of May 2020

I posted this piece last week — it's exactly the same in both The Times of Israel and ejewishphilanthropy.com. Continue reading

Calendar, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, High Holidays, Holidays, Jewish Education, Prayer, Rosh Hashanah, Temple Beth Abraham, Yamim Noraim, Yom Kippur
September 22, 2019

5 Reasons To Take Your Kid Out of School for the High Holy Days

It is not easy to take a day off of school or work for the High Holy Days. As school pressures have become more demanding, even at younger ages, the decision about bringing children to services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur on a school day might be more difficult for a parent than ever… Continue reading

9/11, Antisemitism, Calendar, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Elul, Ethics, Foregiveness, High Holidays, Holidays, Inclusion, Jewish Education, Rosh Hashanah, Spirituality, Teens, Temple Beth Abraham, USA, Yamim Noraim, Yom Kippur, Youth
March 10, 2019

The Megillah, Rep. Omar, and Where We Go From Here

This post is based on the D'var Torah I gave at services on Saturday, March 9, 2019. I also plan another post with some thoughtful articles on the topic from other sources. I always set out extra books for services in addition to the Siddurim (prayerbooks), on the cart outside the Sanctuary and in the… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Esther, History, Holidays, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Islam, Israel, Justice, Leadership, MLK Day, Peace, Pekudei, Purim, Rabbi, Temple Beth Abraham, Terrorism, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA
April 9, 2018

Israel’s 70th Anniversary

This was column in the bulletin of Temple Beth Abraham for April 2018. This spring, the State of Israel marks its 70th anniversary. By the Hebrew calendar, it falls on April 18-19, and by the secular calendar, on May 14. We are looking forward to celebrating together on Sunday, May 13 at the synagogue. We… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Current Affairs, Freedom, Israel, Jerusalem, Peace, Temple Beth Abraham, USA, Yom Haatzmaut
March 3, 2017

Thank You — To a Local Citizen For Her Gesture of Support

Thank you to the person who identified herself only as "A.S.", who brought tulips to the synagogue Monday afternoon and gave them to Judy Goldstein, our Office Manager, with this note: To: The Members of Temple Beth Abraham and the Jewish Community of Nashua: With what's been going on throughout the country — like the… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Temple Beth Abraham, Tikkun Olam, USA