Unfolding Responses to War
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar I said above that I had some additional thoughts to share on the war, evolving as they may be as events unfold. I am largely reiterating some core principles that are informing me as I seek to make sense of, and respond to, this moment. Once again, I look to you […]
The Power of Gathering
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, It goes without saying how heavy a toll this month has taken: on our souls, our spirits, our psyches—to say nothing of the direct devastation wrought on the lives and the communities in Israel and in Gaza. We feel it. I continue to wrestle with it, and I have […]
Ongoing Response to War in Israel and Gaza
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, What a horrendous week and a half it has been in Israel, Gaza, and around the world. We mourn deeply the loss of all innocent life—from the more than 1,400 Israelis that Hamas terrorists killed on that devastating day of October 7, to the six-year-old muslim boy fatally stabbed […]
Response To Tragedy In Israel on October 7
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar SINGULAR MOMENT IN ISRAEL As we now know, what took place this past Shabbat and Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah holiday in Israel was not the standard cross-border skirmish we have grown all too accustomed to, where Hamas militants fire rockets from the Gaza strip, Israel retaliates in order to deter future aggression, […]
How Exile Shows Up In Our Lives
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Starting Wednesday night and continuing through Thursday, we honor Tishah B’Av, the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av, the date which commemorates numerous tragedies over the course of Jewish history, including and especially the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash, the Temple in Jerusalem, the focal point of Jewish worship in ancient times, where […]