“You shall love the Eternal your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might. Set these words upon your heart.” Why? Why does it say to set these words of love and of Torah, upon your heart? Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz teaches: we place the words...
Dear Congregation Rodeph Shalom, As we gather this evening to celebrate Shabbat, our hearts are filled with concern for our beloved Israel. Once again, our brothers and sisters in our spiritual homeland are under attack, as over 500 rockets have been fired from Gaza by Hamas. Now is the time...
‘A Voice Says: Cry Out! And I Say: What Shall I Cry?’ (Isaiah 40:6) With the discovery of the bodies of the three kidnapped and murdered students, Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach, we are left numb. Grief, anger, sadness, disappointment and hopelessness have all converged in our hearts...
Thank you to URJ president Rabbi Rick Jacobs, who on CNN shared that in his address to the leaders of the Presbyterian Church, he explained the pain their decision to divest from 3 American companies doing business with Israel, would cause the Jewish community. He spoke of a more effective and values-driven way to pursue...
On this daily count of the Omer, as Yom HaZikaron (Israel Memorial Day) begins, we honor the memories of Israel’s fallen soldiers. Baruch Ata Adonai, Elohenu Melech ha-olam asher kidishanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu al s’firat ha’omer. Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, who makes us holy with...
Counting the Omer today with inspiration from Naomi Shemer as we anticipate Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Memorial Day) Sunday evening and Yom Ha-atzme-ut (Israeli Independence Day) Monday evening. The mountain air is clear as water The scent of pines around Is carried on the breeze of twilight, And tinkling bells resound. The trees and stones...
Join us to hear Trudy Rubin, the Philadelphia Inquirer columnist, speak on “Israel and the Changing Middle East,” Wed., Nov. 20 at 7:00 pm. Rubin will lead a provocative discussion about how Iran talks, a crumbling Syria, and a new military in Egypt will have an impact on Israel....
Starting this Sunday, 10:15am, join an important discussion about the Middle East and deepen your understanding of its impact on Israel, with our congregant and expert, Nurit Shein. We will connect with each other as we learn and grapple together with the challenges of the Middle East. At RS Sundays, Nov. 17th,...
Rabbi Dr. Ron Kronish has spent decades pursuing reconciliation in Israel. As director of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel, Kronish teaches that Judaism, Christianity and Islam all teach peace. Too often, however, they are corrupted to fuel hatred and violence. Kronish works to harness the teachings and values of...
As we witness Mideast peace talks, the voice of Jewish support is in our hands. When we speak to our friends, when we advocate to our leaders, when we teach our children, what will our rhetoric be? What will be our perspective of the other? This is the question asked...
