Ever-Relevant Modes of Interpretation
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar One of the highlights of my summer—besides discovering my four-year-old daughter Lila’s obsession with being in the pool for hours on end; or my seventeen-month-old-Nina’s increasingly adorable pronunciation of Aba (dad, in Hebrew); or the few extra hours here and there that I’ve gotten to spend with Caroline… Okay, so one of the professional highlights […]
Judaism Says: You Are Capable Of More Than You Know
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Each and every week this summer I’ve been experiencing such richness as part of our Shabbat (Saturday) morning Torah discussions. Our services start at 9:45 am, and then by 10:30, after about 45 minutes of opening prayers, reflections, and songs, we reach our Torah service, and before taking out the Torah […]
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 […]
The Special Time of Jewish Weddings, Tragedy in Philly, and Turmoil in Israel
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, I just got back from a brief vacation in Portland, Oregon where Caroline and I attended my sister’s wedding, which I was honored to officiate. Jewish (and presumably all) weddings are aimed at capturing an experience that can seemingly transcend time: the sheva berachot, the seven blessings that make up […]
Belief in Our Capacities | A Tale of Two Ships
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar This past week at Shabbat services (9:45 am – 12 noon followed each week by lunch with the community) we discussed the notorious incident of the twelve scouts. As the Israelites are approaching the land of their ancestors, God instructs them to send twelve representatives, from each of the tribes, to […]