There are Giants in the Sky (Terumah)
There are Giants in the Sky There are giants in the sky. So goes the song from the musical “Into the Woods.” In the play Steven Sondheim masterfully uses our comfort with fairy tales to force us to take a…
Rabbi Blumenthal
For The Birds (Shabbat Shira)
For the Birds Who inspired you to use your voice, melodious or otherwise, to express yourself? This Shabbat is Shabbat Shira, the Shabbat of song. The name is derived from the song of the sea, sung in this morning’s reading…
Our “Other” Dad (Mikketz)
Our “Other” Dad As someone growing up in the 1980’s, I kind of had two fathers. Of course there was my Dad, the incredible man who raised and nurtured me and remains among my closest confidants to this day. But,…
Hannah, Me and Infertility (Rosh Hashanah)
Hannah, Me and Infertility When I was interviewing for my first rabbinic position, I had a disturbing encounter with a colleague. Applying to be an assistant rabbi, I asked the senior rabbi about how he thought his congregation would take…
Bossy Pants (Tzav)
Bossy Pants Tonight we are going to have a great time. We are going to read the megillah, cheering for Esther and booing for the original “he who should not be named.” Our writing team has prepared hilarious skits in…
Our Story, or How I Met Your Mother (Passover)
How I Met Your Mother For nine years I have been a devoted fan of the television program “How I Met Your Mother.” I was introduced to the group of friends navigating their 20’s in New York City when I…
Caleb in Hebron (Shelakh)
Caleb in Hebron In this morning’s Torah portion we encountered the description of the experience of the spies who were sent to assess the conditions of Canaan. As their adventure began, we read, “They went up and scouted the land,…
Holy Work (Behar-Behukotai)
Holy Work: Yom Yerushalayim 2012 This morning we closed the book of Vayikra-Leviticus. For the past two months our Torah reading has come from this book, much of it containing what is referred to as the “Holiness Code,” which focuses…
Zayde’s Torah (Yizkor)
Zayde’s Torah In the winter of 1978, my parents went to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where my mother’s grandfather was being honored for years of service to his synagogue community. As a token of appreciation, the congregation gave him a small Torah…
Challenger (Mishpatim)
Challenger I was struck by a news headline yesterday morning. Challenger disaster, where were you? 25 years ago today, Americans tuned in to watch a teacher blast off into space. Then the unthinkable occurred. I felt my heart drop to…