When our entire world changed overnight a year ago, last March, we in the synagogue world had countless new challenges to address as the enormity of the pandemic came to light. This unprecedented time was clearly going to require innovative solutions and a very different kind of thinking. It quickly became clear that in order […]
In July 2020, a few months into the Covid 19 pandemic, our Reform congregation in Denver, CO hosted 27 Hours with Temple Sinai: The Come Together Zoom-a-Thon, a full weekend of virtual programming for all ages intended to be both a community-building experience as well as a fundraiser. Leading up to the weekend, we had […]
In 1962, 36 families, many with young children, pooled their energy, resources and vision to create a new Jewish congregation in Northern Virginia. There were a few well established synagogues in Alexandria and Arlington, but families were moving “west.” This reality and other community issues led this small group to break away from their congregation […]
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in eJP in September 2019. It takes on added significance in light of the trend during the Covid-19 pandemic to leave cities and take up residence in suburban neighborhoods. Ten years ago, I became a rabbi and, over that time, I have to confess that I have frequently […]
Over the past two years, I have been part of leading a number of campaigns at Temple Beth Sholom, Miami Beach that made a positive change in our greater community while deepening our congregation’s commitment to meaningful social justice engagement. Our work in helping to shut down the for-profit, child detention center adjacent to Homestead, […]
Editors Note: This article was first published by Kveller on July 28, 2020 I recently left my job as a congregational rabbi. I loved the community — a dynamic, 50-year-old congregation with some 135 families that’s affiliated with the Humanistic Judaism movement. The place, and its people, have a lot of heart, and I felt I […]
When feeling overwhelmed — immersed and implicated — in the complex, amalgamated legacies of the United States, it is best to phone a friend. Involving Rev. Dr. Daryl Horton, Youth Pastor/Assistant to the Pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Austin, Texas in my inquiry and interrogation of my place in this country immediately sharpened […]
It all started with a simple conversation that would frighten many in the world of Jewish institutional life. In early March 2020, my colleague, Rabbi Dara Frimmer, and I discussed the imminent closure of our synagogues due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We shared how we planned to offer digital worship, online religious school, and distance […]
I know that I am not alone in being impressed at how quickly the Jewish community was able to provide program content via the web as much of North America moved to “shelter in place.” As we begin to adjust to our new, surreal lives, more is being written about the shape of our post-pandemic […]
In 2014, I was promoted to my current position after the departure of my senior rabbi. I had only served as the assistant for a little over a year. I knew nearly nothing about running a large synagogue. I had about three years of assistantships, with two different senior rabbis. I had spent a lot […]
