Religion

“I needed a place to be with God again. I watched the services on YouTube for a few weeks and decided I was ready. I loved how the service was so clear to me and helped me understand how the community works together. It...

We’re about to celebrate one of my most favorite Jewish holidays: Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, which begins Dec. 18 and runs through Dec. 26. It’s my favorite because more than any other Jewish holiday, Chanukah is all about celebrating our freedom to live proudly...

I like etymologies, the origin of words. I like to play with words, especially in different languages. I think we often use words without really thinking about what they really mean and what they imply. “Thanks” is one of those words.  In English, the word...

What does freedom taste like? As Jews celebrate the weeklong holiday of Passover (Pesach) beginning this Saturday night (April 12), the interactive ritual of a Passover Seder provides a rich learning experience to literally taste freedom.  The book of Exodus details the story of Passover...

The pictures from Minneapolis that we have seen in the last few weeks have shown us that neighbors look out for neighbors. It is inspiring to see the community at work where people come together for the common good.  As human beings we are all...

This year the Multifaith Action Society is celebrating the Interfaith Year of Resilience. The “Resilience” theme was chosen to remind communities to continue to be strong and maneuver through the perils and all the uncertainties we find ourselves going through.    We are living in times...

One of the blessings of being a rabbi is officiating at weddings. I’m currently working with my first second-generation couple. One of the bride’s parents was among the first couples I married, making this a particularly meaningful and full-circle moment. In addition to a marriage...

At the Bible Museum in Washington DC recently, several high-profile political types spent time reading their favorite Bible passages as a celebration of America’s 250th birthday and its spiritual beginnings. President Trump read 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, who are called by my...

Lifetime friends and Catholic Saints Francis and Clare lie entombed in their charming hilltop hometown of Assisi, Italy. Saint Clare, dead more than 700 years, lies incorrupt in a glass coffin inside a church built in her honor. Meanwhile Saint Francis lies in a...

Prayer takes on different forms in different religious expressions. Prayers are chanted, spoken or sung. Prayers are spoken aloud or uttered more silently.  One of the notable expressions of prayer in Christianity is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples when they asked, “Lord, teach us to...