Boycotts, Elections, and the Search for Home
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar There are a couple of major news stories this week that touch on our identities as Jews, or as those exploring Judaism or supporting Jewish loved ones: one local, one national. On the local level, many of you may be aware of the planned “boycott ride” on Sunday, November 8, organized by […]
Beyond the Yahrtzeit Candle
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, I wanted to start by sharing an email this week from the recipient of time and energy contributed by our Hesed volunteers. Remember that our Hesed Committee (“Hesed” means love and kindness) is the group of volunteers in our community that offers support to their fellow community members in need […]
Israel’s Election and The Courage to Be a Beginner
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Of course, not everyone who receives emails from a synagogue is necessarily interested in political developments in Israel. For some of us, our relationship to our Judaism or to synagogue life is primarily religious or spiritual in nature. For others, it may be social: we seek a place to celebrate Jewish holidays, […]
A Shared Sense of Responsibility
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear friends, On Wednesday I bore witness to mourning and remembrance of the horrific events of October 7, 2023, the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage, igniting a conflagration of war, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands more in […]
Sukkot and the Wildness We’ve Forgotten
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear friends, I hope you’ll join us Saturday night, October 3 for a rousing Simhat Torah! This is one of the high points of the Jewish year: dinner and drinks, festive dancing with the Torah scrolls, flags waving throughout the sanctuary by people of all ages — it is essentially the culmination […]