J Blog
Shabbat Message: Finishing and Completing The Torah
Friday, September 24, 2021
We are coming close to the end of the yearly cycle of reading the Torah. We will finish it, but can we complete it?
תּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת ...
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Book Review: Cultural Disjunctions: Post-Traditional Jewish Identities
Monday, September 20, 2021

In Cultural Disjunctions, Paul Mendes-Flohr examines the reality that Modern Jews mix their Judaism with a wide range of other identities, or as Wendy Doniger puts it, (quoted by Mendes Flohr on page 22), adopted “other people’s myths”. His essential question is how can Jews create a robust identity that is fully engaged in the Jewish experiment but not exclusively Jewish?
Shabbat Message: Ha'azinu Parsha
Friday, September 17, 2021

יַעֲרֹ֤ף כַּמָּטָר֙ לִקְחִ֔י - תִּזַּ֥ל כַּטַּ֖ל אִמְרָתִ֑י - ...
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Tashlich at Home
Monday, September 13, 2021

Are you looking for a meaningful rainy day activity with your kids? This could be a perfect time to explain Tashlich to them!
What is Tashlich? Traditionally on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, (or, if one cannot get to it then, it can be done until Hoshannah Rabbah - this year Sept. 27th) Jews gather at a body of water to symbolically throw their sins into the depths of the sea by throwing pieces of bread into the water.
This article offers ...
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Shabbat Message - A 9/11 Reflection
Friday, September 10, 2021
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This shabbat marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States. It is an opportunity to consider one of the outcomes of that very hard time.
This Dvar Torah is dedicated to all of those who lost their lives on that terrible day. This week’s Torah portion, VaYeilech, includes the Mitzvha of Hakel.
הַקְהֵ֣ל ...
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How Jewish Are The High Holidays?
Sunday, September 5, 2021

I am very excited to be starting my role as Director of Bobbi and Vic Samuels Center for Jewish Living & Learning (CJLL). I look forward to learning with you! Shabbat Shalom. -Rabbi Gelman
Are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Jewish Holidays?
This may seem like a strange question, but a careful look at the texts we read on those days may tell us otherwise.
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we read that God remembered Sarah. This may be one of ...
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Shabbat Message - What It Means to Stand Before God
Friday, September 3, 2021

Weekly Torah Portion
ֶּאַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ כֻּלְּכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֣ה ...
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