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too much?

10/21/2025 09:40:47 AM

Oct21

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers

Judaism is supposed to be about joy, and how we can infuse joy into all that we do. We just finished Simchat Torah, which literally means “the joy of the Torah”. The entire eight-day festival of Sukkot is known as Z’man Simchateinu, “the season of our joy”. A common phrase uttered when leaving a simcha is “nor af simchas”, may we merit another one. The gathering after Friday evening services is...Read more...

are we taking care of ourselves?

10/15/2025 10:12:46 PM

Oct15

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers

The mood in morning minyan on Hoshana Rabbah was one of uplift and joy, something barely witnessed these past two years. Finally, all the living hostages were returned home. Amid much celebration, let us not forget the approximately 28 hostages not yet returned, the ones who died. We mourn their loss, and embrace their families, for they are part of our family. 

Despite...Read more...

oy, the calendar

10/09/2025 10:02:40 AM

Oct9

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers

If I had any input in the Jewish calendar, which I do not, I would have shared the thought that the month of Tishrei is far too overprogrammed. We have Rosh Hashanah on the 1st and 2nd, Yom Kippur on the 10th, Sukkot on the 15-22 and Simchat Torah on the 23rd. By the time we have concluded this seemingly non-stop run of hagim, we need a break! 

I do believe that Sukkot...Read more...

gratitude

09/25/2025 10:59:15 AM

Sep25

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers

One of the best ways to celebrate Rosh Hashanah is by acknowledging God as Creator and showing gratitude for God’s creations. We are surrounded by all that God created, yet most likely take them for granted. A beautiful sunrise or sunset, the fragrant smells of nature, or being in the presence of a great scholar are just a few of the myriad wonders of our world, and to force us to recognize all that surrounds...Read more...

even more hope

09/18/2025 11:30:52 AM

Sep18

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers

This past week I attended the fifth annual Eradicate H Global Summit here in Pittsburgh. It was created five years ago by Chancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg and Laura Ellsworth as a response to the massacre in Tree of Life as a positive step, with its title answering the question of what it is about. With the gathering the week before Rosh Hashanah, it was just not possible to attend the entire summit, so I...Read more...

have a nice day

09/11/2025 09:30:46 AM

Sep11

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers

Each of us has the potential to have a positive impact on the people we encounter on a daily basis, whether it be at home or at work, family, friends, acquaintances or strangers. All it takes is a simple act of kindness. One word or deed has the capacity to change the trajectory of someone’s day and life. I don’t believe that my observation is far off that there are more and more people who have become...Read more...

portable living

09/04/2025 09:12:21 AM

Sep4

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers

While many might opine reasons why Judaism continues to flourish after 4,000 years, I’d like to focus on two: life and portability. All that we do, all that God expects of us, is focused on life. We are encouraged to live our lives to the fullest, embracing joy and celebration of family, Shabbat and holidays, and building community. God wants us to develop to be the best possible versions of ourselves, and in...Read more...

a full review

08/28/2025 09:26:45 AM

Aug28

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers

This week’s blog was written before the horrific school shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. My first reaction was, “Oh no! Not again!”. CNN reached out to me, and I prerecorded an interview with Laura Coates that aired later in the evening. I know that there is nothing at this time that can alleviate the shock, the disbelief and anger that the community, and indeed all of America, feels....Read more...

you can't buy hope on-line

08/19/2025 07:35:32 AM

Aug19

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers

While it may seem less reassuring, our ancestors over the millennia regularly experienced times when all they had was hope. It could be easy to reflect upon our history as a people and only mention tragedies, which is what Tisha B’av is about. But that is not what Judaism is about. We are about joy, experiencing it personally and sharing it with others. Just as news reports solely concentrate on negatives to the...Read more...

inspiration

08/14/2025 10:46:07 AM

Aug14

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers

As the years go by, I have become more and more impressed with Moses’ discourses in the book of Deuteronomy, which we began just a few weeks ago. It was so important a book that Moses decrees that a copy of Deuteronomy must be at the side of an Israelite king, to read, to learn and be guided. Worthy of a separate conversation is the question of how Moses could foresee an Israelite king. 

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Mon, October 27 2025 5 Cheshvan 5786