Counting Up to Sinai: The Omer

Do you ever feel so focused on what is to come, that you miss what is before you?  When my family joins together for a meal, we laugh, we share, and we usually spend some time… talking about the next meal.  This readiness to discuss the next meal grows, not only from a stereotypically Jewish obsession with food; but also from a tendency to be in the next moment as much as we are in the present moment.  In its deep wisdom, Judaism does connect us to the lessons of the past and the hopes for the future, but Judaism also roots us firmly in the present.

In this present moment in Jewish time, we enter the season that begins with the second day of the festival of Pesach and continues until the festival of Shavuot.  This period is called the Omer, a term describing the measure of grain connected with the harvest of our agricultural biblical roots.  During this period of the Omer, there is a Jewish tradition to count, day by day, as a way to anticipate the revelation of Torah at Mount Sinai, which Shavuot celebrates.Continue reading

What Has Been Put Before You?

Last year, I began to receive emails and facebook posts with an attached icon of the superman logo–the big red S in the five-sided border, that announces the presence of the man of steel.  Several of my rabbi friends had replaced their regular headshot photos with this Superman graphic, to demonstrate support for our rabbinic colleagues Phyllis and Michael Sommer.  The Sommers’ 8-year old son Sam was battling leukemia.  Harnessing his strength and superpowers, Sam took on the identity “Superman Sam” as he faced chemotherapy, radiation, relapse, and a bone marrow transplant.

Superman Sam’s parents harnessed their strength and superpowers into a blog, accounting their experiences of medical challenges, family, hope and love, and providing a space for others to share.  Superman Sam’s story, and his parents’ beautiful words, have spread beyond their community, to families across the nation.  Parents of children with cancer have commented that with the presence of the Sommers’ blog, they feel less alone.  Parents of children with other challenges have commented that the Sommers’ hope brings them hope.  And readers from all walks of life have commented that the Sommers’ story brings them perspective.  With their words, Phyllis and Michael have created a tremendous circle of people, bound by inspiration.  Continue reading

Resources for a Sweet Passover

In preparation for Passover, we search for breadcrumbs to clean our homes of chametz.  And many are also on a search for a great Haggadah, recipe or a place to celebrate seder.  Here are some resources:

Get inspired about Pesach’s meaning for today with this commentary.

Check out this interactive seder plate to help you prepare your own.

Try a creative new Pesach recipe.

Practice the Four Questions.

Let us know if you can host a member or want to be hosted for 1st Seder.

And if you are ready to pull out the post-it’s and prepare to lead your own seder (go for it!), here’s a list of Haggadah suggestions, from most in-depth to most simple…

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Seeds of Bravery

Rabbi Bill Kuhn delivered this d’var Torah last Shabbat and interpreted how we can all be “Brave!”  Last weekend was “Shabbat Parah” the first Sabbath after Purim, which highlights the connection between the holiday of Purim (last Saturday p.m./Sunday) and the festival of Pesach, which comes exactly 30 days later.

There are a lot of connections between these two holidays especially in perhaps the most important theme of courage.  The bravery of Queen Esther who convinced King Ahasuerus to save the Jews from Haman (Boo!) and the courage of Moses who stood up to Pharaoh and said “Let my People go!”

So Purim is the time to begin preparing ourselves for Pesach and to prepare ourselves to be brave.

This is why we chose this them for our Purim video.  It is done to the song called “Brave” by popular singer Sara Bareilles.  I’d like to thank Cantor Frankel for conceiving of this idea, and Rabbis Maderer and Freedman who helped organize, edit and produce this.

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Judaism and the 12 Steps: A Message for Everyone

What can Judaism offer to the spiritual journey in recovery?  The more I learn about Judaism and the more a learn about recovery, the clearer the answer becomes.  Jewish wisdom enriches the spiritual journey of recovery in many of the same ways Judaism deepens any of our spiritual journeys.

In Jewish recovery author and teacher Rabbi Kerry Olitzky’s discussion with us at Rodeph Shalom last night, “The 12 Steps: A Message for Everyone,” he spoke about how the core foundations of Judaism, Torah, community and God, can support someone in recovery and can support every one of us in the struggles of life we face.   I’d like to share some of my take-aways from Rabbi Olitzky’s teachings.Continue reading

Liberation Then and Liberation Now: Social Justice Reading for Your Seder

The American Jewish World Service invites you to incorporate this reading into your Seder as you drink the first glass of wine.

On Passover, we celebrate our redemption from slavery and revel in our freedom: we gather around the Seder table with our loved ones, telling stories of our people’s miraculous passage from Egypt, to Sinai, to the Promised Land. At this time of rejoicing, we also remember the great responsibility that freedom creates: to harness the power of our privilege on behalf of the oppressed and marginalized.Continue reading

The Universal Struggle For Freedom

By Rabbi Bill Kuhn

It was impossible to watch the recent uprising in Egypt and not think of the Passover story. How ironic! Egyptian citizens in the year 2011 felt they were oppressed and enslaved by an authoritarian dictatorship. Perhaps their political oppression was not on a par with the ancient Pharaoh’s enslavement of our Israelite ancestors, but the Egyptians of today certainly felt the need to achieve freedom no less than we did over 3,000 years ago.Continue reading

Share Your Stories of Passover

If you have wonderful, spiritual or funny Pesach (Passover) stories, share them here with a comment!  If you are new to Passover observance, share the challenges and questions you face.  Then, bring your reflections to our “Passover is Coming! Preparing the Haggadah and the Kitchen” conversation with Rabbi Bill Kuhn on Sunday, April 10 and 10:30am.

Kneel Down to Open Something New: A Pesach Teaching

by Rabbi Jill Maderer

Tired of eating matza yet?  And why are we still eating it anyway?  The seder is over; we have celebrated the redemption of our people and our journey to freedom.  So why, now in the middle of the week of Pesach, are we still eating the bread of affliction?  Our daily ritual of avoiding chametz and eating matza keeps the messages of Pesach close to our hearts (and our guts).  For the week of Pesach, matza is our daily reminder of affliction, and of transformation yet to be.

Professor Julius Lester is a retired African American Jewish scholar and activist.  In a modern midrash (creative commentary), he asks the question: “Why did God give the responsibility for Moses’ rearing to an Egyptian woman and the daughter of Pharaoh?”  Continue reading