With the freeing of the hostages and the ceasefire in Israel, the prayer for peace has been realized. Our rabbis teach that redeeming the hostages is one of the most important mitzvot—commandments. It is similar to redeeming the Israelites from Egypt. A prisoner cannot free himself from a cell; he is, in essence, in the category [...]

In the reflective spirit that follows our national celebration of independence on the Fourth of July, we are invited not just to look back — but to look deeper. The fireworks may have faded, but the question remains: What is freedom? And how do we live it? Both the Bible and the American story are [...]

Just last Thursday, on June 13, the date that echoes the 613 commandments of our tradition, I reached out to you in the wake of Israel’s preemptive operation in Iran. We were all feeling the weight of uncertainty and concern for our homeland and for the Jewish people everywhere. What is emerging now is nothing [...]

With the selection of Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost, and in light of the film “Conclave,” which I happened to watch by chance on a flight back from Florida, I’ve been reflecting on the difference between perception and reality in religious institutions. The film was hard to watch. According to friends in the clergy, [...]

The period between Purim and Passover, two festivals that are deeply intertwined, is a journey of connection to our innermost identity. Both tell stories of danger, courage, and redemption. On Purim, we wear masks; on Passover, we remove them.  We deflate not only our bread but our egos. We strip away the disguises we wear in [...]

The following letter to the editors was sent to the members of GEM (Greenport Ecumenical Ministries), and is reprinted here, with permission: Dear GEMs, On behalf of Congregation Tifereth Israel and myself, I extend our heartfelt condolences to our Catholic brothers and sisters on the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis. His papacy has accompanied [...]

I am writing this message on March 20, the 20th day of Adar. Exactly 30 years ago on this very day on the Jewish calendar, I was on my way to Jerusalem to register for architecture school. Little did I know that God had a different plan for me. It was a moment of transition — my [...]

Life is a constant movement between order and disorder, a delicate balance between structure and chaos, between the expected and unexpected, between moments of clarity and the unknown. This tension is the very essence of our existence — the breath that sustains us and the drama that shapes our journey. In the midst of the [...]