Week of 5.24 class materials: Through the eyes of Each Other II (click here for Word doc) (click here for PDF), Justice I Since When Do We Know Israel is a Democracy? (click here for Word doc) (click here for PDF), Justice II A Black Flag (click here for Word … READ MORE

We Jews and our non-Jewish neighbors are really obsessed with holidays this time of year. Between approximately the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice, Jewish and non-Jewish Americans have practically all our holidays, especially our better-known ones. As this season progresses, the holidays change. Here in Brooklyn, we feel it … READ MORE

NEW YEARS GREETINGS-2017-5778-FINAL-1 PAGE

We usually think of the High Holy Days as being the period of time from Rosh Hashanah through the end of Yom Kippur – the Ten Days of Repentance. But in fact the season of the High Holy Days begins a full month earlier, with the New Month of Elul. … READ MORE

The names of the Jewish calendar’s months have long been mysterious. In a couple cases (Heshvan and Av), there is some question as to whether the common calendrical name is a full name or a nickname (i.e. vs Marheshvan and Menahem Av, respectively). In other cases (namely Aviv/Nisan), the months’ names … READ MORE

The other day in shul I quipped that if one wanted to name Sefer B’Midbar according to its main theme, The Book of Complaints would probably be better than The Book of Numbers. Throughout the book, the Israelites complain, mainly about their food. Their complaints include a lack of meat, to … READ MORE

The Cantors Assembly has appointed me to be its representative to the CJLS (Committee of Jewish Law and Standards).  The CJLS is the body that writes legal responses for the Conservative Movement, and is comprised of many of its great thinkers. I will serve a two-year term in that position, … READ MORE

The period between Pesach and Shavuot is known as “the Sefirah” (more commonly, though not really correct, if you ask me, is “the Omer”) during which we “count the Omer.” The Torah commands that we count the days and weeks, seven of each, of this period, during which bundles of … READ MORE