REFLECTION ON THE OCCASION OF INTERFAITH INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY At THE HOLOCAUST EDUCATION CENTER, GLEN COVE, NY Good morning. My name is Donald Russo. I come to give a personal reflection. I am a good Catholic boy from a good Catholic family, or so I’ve been led to believe. But eighty years ago, what [...]
It had been raining all day last Thursday, but nothing could wash away my excitement. It was my first day back on campus after nearly a decade. The precipitation made me feel like a fish returned to the water. When I started at CTI, I was about to finish a second master’s degree at the [...]
Our rabbis teach us that when we go up to heaven, we are asked a few critical questions. The first one is the most important, and it’s not how often you attended synagogue or church. It’s a question that captures the bottom line of our humanity - “were you honest in business?” On April 3, 1968 Reverend, Dr. [...]
This month, we lost an amazing man — Rabbi Elliott Spar. Elliott was a colleague, a friend, and a mentor. One of his children, Ari Spar, is a member of our shul. For almost four decades, he was the rabbi of the Temple Beth Shalom congregation in Smithtown, the same pulpit for his entire rabbinate. He retired [...]
What is the greatest Christmas carol? It’s one we virtually never hear sung. It was sung by Mary, the pregnant teenager, as she visited her cousin. It is the Magnificat! (Luke 1:46-55). She tells us what Christmas is all about. The Son to whom she would give birth will change the world in unforeseen ways. [...]
Father Roy Tvrdik leads parishioners and friends of Our Lady of Ostrabrama RC church in lessons and discussions on the history and theology of the Catholic Church. This week Father Roy has a "Christmas sidebar" before we finish the chapters on the Council of Trent as written in "The History of the Church, A Complete [...]
Father Roy Tvrdik leads parishioners and friends of Our Lady of Ostrabrama RC church in lessons and discussions on the history of the Catholic Church. This week Father Roy teaches on the Council of Trent as discussed in "The History of the Church, A Complete Course". This week we continue to discuss the Council of [...]
I always thought I was a fairly patient individual. Waiting was not usually a problem. I’d stand on lines at the supermarket or the bank, or even wait for a slow computer. I would find something to think about or even pray about. But recently I found out I wasn’t as patient as I thought. [...]
Last Friday, I returned from Israel with a small group of our congregants. During the trip, we took our time strolling throughout the land. It was a beautiful and intimate experience I am still savoring. Those who travel to Israel for the first time often are surprised to discover how hustling and bustling it is. [...]
Father Roy Tvrdik leads parishioners and friends of Our Lady of Ostrabrama RC church in lessons and discussions on the history of the Catholic Church. This week Father Roy teaches on the Catholic Response to the Protestant Reformation in "The History of the Church, A Complete Course". This week we discuss the Council of Trent [...]
