How Prayer May Bring Change – Not How You Might Think

by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar     I’m writing to share the remarks I delivered at this past week’s Friday night Shabbat service, which you are always encouraged to attend — a peaceful conclusion to the week and initiation of Shabbat, celebrated through song, community, reflection, and prayer, and then, of course, food: I’ve shared a […]

Aheinu — Holding Space for One Another

by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar One English word used today to describe the work of a rabbi is “pastoral.” Pastoral is a word whose origins derive from the nomadic, shepherding origins of our people, and today it refers to a form of accompaniment — to, as Rabbi Dayle Friedman writes, offering “a spiritual presence to people […]

A Time for Wailing, A Time for Dancing

yahrzeit candles with an israeli flag

These verses from Ecclesiastes come to me in this moment that feels like both “a time for wailing and a time for dancing.”

A time for dancing because, after 15 months of war, hostages will be reunited with their families, rockets — at least between Israel and Hamas — will stop firing, families will return to their hometowns. Peace, albeit limited, tentative, and fragile, will reign.

Hebrew School Teacher — Part Time

Society Hill Synagogue is seeking Hebrew School teachers for multiple classes between PreK-7th Grade. Our teachers are dynamic Jewish educators excited about helping to inspire a new generation of Jewish learners.  Our Ann Spak Thal Hebrew School grounds students’ experiences in Jewish text, tradition, and community. Our vibrant school immerses children and adolescents in the […]

Israel and Community, and the California Fires

by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar I’d like to share a reflection flowing out of a monthly course I’m teaching here at Society Hill Synagogue on Zionism: Understanding The Yearnings For A Jewish State. For the moment, I don’t want to get hung up on defining the word “Zionism;” people often mean different things when they invoke […]