L’shanah tovah–Rabbis Kuhn, Maderer, Freedman, Cantor Frankel
Elul Reflections: Gates to Our Soul
Elul Reflections: God Knows My Guilty Look
A sage is a passenger on a horse and wagon. As they pass a farm, the driver sees some hay. He stops his horse, looks around carefully to make sure no one is watching, runs out, and grabs a bundle of hay.Elul Reflections: All the Days of My Life
Reflections for Elul: Letting the Light In
Late one night, in the city of Chelm, known to be populated by fools, Shmuel happened upon his friend Avrum. Avrum was down on his hands and knees, underneath the street light, searching for something. Shmuel inquired as to what Avrum was doing. “I’ve lost my keys,” he replied. “Perhaps you’ll help me search.” Shmuel joined him. After half an hour, they had still had no success. “Avrum, where exactly did you lose the keys? Maybe we can concentrate our efforts.” Avrum replied, “I lost them in that alley over there.” Shmuel was dumbfounded, “So why are we looking here?” Soulful Reflections for Elul
Jewish Meditation and the Dislocation of the Journey
Please join us for Jewish Meditation before Shabbat services on Friday evenings, starting August 9, 5-5:30pm (you are welcome to arrive 4:45 to settle in; please be sure to arrive by 5:15 when the doors close for silence). In these coming weeks we will focus on brief teachings from This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation, by Rabbi Alan Lew.
In an article this April, Rabbi Kuhn taught us: “A recent study found that Philadelphia has the highest rate of “deep poverty” – people with incomes below half the poverty line – of any of the nations 10 most populous cities.* The study found that Philadelphia’s “deep poverty” rate** is around 12.9%, or 200,000 people.”
Even as we look to the Prophets to inspire us that justice will someday flow like a river and righteousness like a mighty stream, while the homeless are in our midst, they have much to teach us.
Exploring Hindrance on the Spiritual Path: Join us for Jewish Meditation this Friday, 5:00pm
Is God present in our obstacles? Do hindrances lead us to liberation, growth and insight? Now in the middle of the Omer, the countdown–or count up–to our Shavuot celebration of revelation, turn back to the Torah reading from the conclusion of Pesach. In the Song of the Sea, the text tells the story of Egyptians chasing and then the Israelites rescue at the sea. In this celebration of miracle in Hebrew verse, God’s miracles are described step by step: God hurled horse and driver into the sea; God is our strength and might; at the blast of G’s nostrils, the waters piled up like a straight wall.
The list is about to be followed by Michamocha–the declaration of God’s wonders, but first a sentence, seemingly out of order–the text brings back a focus on the Egyptians: “The foe said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, My desire shall have its fill of them. I will bare my sword. My hand shall subdue them.”Continue reading
Jewish Meditation
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
