Blog

This coming Shabbat we read the concluding parasha of the book of Exodus: Pekudei. The construction of all the necessary components to build the mishkan, the portable sanctuary, have been completed and delivered to Moses, as well as all of the appurtenances, and the garb for the High Priest and his retinue have been fabricated. The first thing that Moses does is bless all of those involved in the process....Read more...

It is generally not a good idea to offer two completely different subjects in one blog, but you’ll forgive me this time, as both are competing for attention. The World Zionist Congress was established by Theodore Herzl, z”l, in 1896. His goal was to create an institution that would have a global voice in the furtherance of the reclamation of the Jewish homeland, especially in the aftermath of the Dreyfus Trial. Fast forward to today, and...Read more...

This past Friday evening and Shabbat morning I reflected upon the deaths of Ariel and K’fir Bibas, not knowing that the body of their mother, Shiri, was returned to Israel on Shabbat. Despite the horrific way their remains were paraded in Gaza amid celebrations, I suggested that this was not the time for cries for vengeance. This was the time for mourning, for embracing Yarden Bibas, bereaved father and now...Read more...

Amongst the many expectations of clergy of all faiths is to deliver homilies that address current matters. That will usually mean linking an important holy text to their remarks, which is something that I try to do where possible on Friday evenings as well as foster a modern connection between the portion in the Torah (or Haftarah) and the world on Shabbat morning. I’ve been grateful to God that I continue to...Read more...

The date of January 27 was chosen as International Holocaust Remembrance Day because on that date, 80 years ago, the Red Army liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the concentration camps. I had the privilege of visiting this massive site many years ago as part of a mission of Cantors, called 100 Voices, that travelled to Warsaw and Cracow. It was an experience that was life-altering, with three memories that...Read more...