Category: Uncategorized
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Parasha Shoftim: The Qualities of a Leader
At the Academy for Jewish Religion, all rabbinic students were required to take a course in Homiletics. For those of us who are not clergy and may not be familiar with this word, “Homiletics” is a fancy way of saying “sermonizing”. Our teacher for the course, Rabbi Richardson, had a long and successful career as…
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Parasha Ekev: Coping with Despair
In July of 1854 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, author of the American classics which I am sure some of you know — “The Song of Hiawatha”, “Paul Revere’s Ride” and “Evangeline” — visited the Jewish cemetery of Newport, Rhode Island. At the time of the visit, cemetery tourism was a popular past time for Americans, and…
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Parasha Devarim
Friday Night, August 12, 2016/ 9 Av, 5776 On behalf of Congregation Beth Shalom, I would like to welcome Rosanne Kearny and Don McCallum and Kelly Callahan into our community and into the Jewish people. You might not be fully aware of this, but this morning you joined a very complicated people . Even our…
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Parasha — Matot Massei — Speaking Up
Shabbat Shalom. It is wonderful to return home to Congregation Beth Shalom after my vacation. Middy and I had a great time, both resting at home and traveling to the Northwest. Over a period of ten days in July we visited Seattle, Washington, Mt. Ranier, Portland, Oregon and the Oregon coast. I know I speak…
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Where Flowers Never Grow — Parasha BeHaalotecha
Our Parasha this week opens with G-d commanding Aaron to light the seven branched Menorah. The Menorah stands in the Ohel Moed, Tent of Meeting, in front of the Ark that holds the Ten Commandments. Aaron is to light the Menorah daily, so that it burns from evening till morning. Just as we light the…
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Parasha Naso: A Very Special Blessing
In 1979, archeologist Gabrielle Barklay set out on a routine dig outside of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. He was interested in uncovering evidence of activities that would take place outside of the ancient city of Jerusalem – quarrying of stones, military encampments, growing of vegetables, burials, roads and military watch towers.…
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Bamidbar: Ya Gotta Have Heart
Whether you are a child beginning studies in our own Congregation Beth Shalom Religious School, or an adult studying at an Israeli Ulpan, one of the first Hebrew words that you will learn is a word used over 600 times in the Bible. That word is “rosh”, or “head”. Our parasha this week begins with…
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Behukotai — Scared Straight
This week’s parasha has to be the most difficult Torah reading of the entire year. It is the final chapter in the Book of Leviticus. The Jewish people are still settled around Mount Sinai. They have been given many of the commandments that they are to follow as they look forward to leaving their encampment…
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Parasha BeHar — Getting Second Chances
Last Saturday night, as we left the synagogue following Havdalah, we were greeted by a Full Moon rising above the treetops in the East. To the right of the moon shone the planet Mars, with even its reddish tint visible to the naked eye. Looking up, I was reminded that at the last Full…
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The Impossible Mitzvah — A Belated Sermon for Mother's Day
Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was bet that he could not write a novel in just six words. He wrote, “For sale, baby shoes, never worn.” Larry Smith, a journalist, published a book called, OY, Only Six? Why not More? Six Word Memoirs on Jewish Life.” In that book, which contains 360 personal takes…
Rabbi Marc D. Rudolph 