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 [...]
WE ARE FROM HERE A Family Story of Indigenous Jews The film follows Rabbi Gadi Capela, a Columbia University student during the October 7 riots, as he shares his family’s exodus from Yemen during Operation On Wings of Eagles. Highlighting the experiences of over a million Middle Eastern Jews, the film challenges the narrative of [...]
When my sister in Israel mentioned she would stop in New York on her way to our nephew’s wedding in Cartagena, Colombia, she casually noted that her trip coincided with the upcoming inauguration of the returning President, Donald J. Trump. Attending a presidential inauguration had never crossed my mind before. But recognizing how rare and special [...]
Given the high cost of airline tickets to Israel and limited flights as a result of the current situation, rather than traveling there to present at a conference, I opted to stay closer to home and send a recorded presentation I had given at Columbia University a week earlier. Instead, I headed to Washington, D.C., [...]
Every time Roberta Garris produces a quilt for one of our silent auctions, I can’t resist bidding on it. Her colorful tapestries now brighten several rooms in my house. When she announced that her “A Year in Patches” quilt was accepted into the prestigious International Quilt Festival in Houston this year, I knew I had to [...]
This year, the High Holidays truly felt like a time of reflection and repentance. As we celebrated Simchat Torah, the final event that concludes this month of observance, Israel conducted an historic airstrike against Iranian military targets on its own soil and named it “Days of Repentance” — an action that, in previous years, would [...]
I was saddened and troubled by the assassination attempt of former president Donald Trump, and for the death and injuries of the other participants in the rally that was held in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. We all need to be aware and concerned. Many countries in the world are going through election seasons now, [...]
Crossing the United States is fascinating, whether by air, auto, water, or train, as I did it this time. I was traveling to my cousin David’s wedding in Ventura, California, and I decided to take the scenic route. It was a different experience. No need to pack and unpack. The food was good, and the [...]
