the genizah and a new beginning
01/03/2023 09:00:45 AM
During the month of January, everyone at PTS has the chance to participate in a community-building and uniquely Jewish opportunity, our Community Shred Event and Genizah Collection on Friday, January 13th. In reading this, you may be wondering what this event is all about. I am...Read more...
On community
12/02/2022 09:09:40 PM
President
Shabbat Shalom, and welcome once again to our Board Consecration Shabbat. It is my honor, as president of the PTS board, to chair this group of smart, caring, and committed trustees who not only have led us beautifully in our service this...Read more...
The Power of Hanukkah
12/01/2022 09:48:00 AM
“We came to banish the darkness
In our hands are the light and fire
Each one of us is a small light,
And together our light is power”
This is the message of the Israeli Chanukah song, Banu Choshech Legaresh. Every human soul brings a powerful light, and when...Read more...
A Part of Something Bigger….
11/01/2022 09:30:04 AM
As I stand in front of the open ark in our sanctuary with an upcoming B’nai Mitzvah student, one of the first things I often ask them is if they’ve ever really paid attention to how many sifrei Torah (Torah Scrolls) are in the ark. At a quick glance, it’s clear that there...Read more...
A Message on Antisemitism in Our Time
10/28/2022 02:31:51 PM
Recently, we have been reminded that antisemitism plagues us now with a renewed and frightening strength.
Just yesterday, we marked the fourth anniversary of the deadliest attack in U.S. history against Jews at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue. As we paused to remember the...Read more...
Moving Forward into the Climate Crisis
10/05/2022 07:00:42 PM
Sermon, Yom Kippur Morning 2022/5783
What Can We Do? Moving Forward into the Climate Crisis
I would like to invite you to think about a place that you have been to and wish to return, like a park or a vacation spot or your grandmother’s backyard. I know many people in...Read more...
the importance of belonging
10/04/2022 06:30:07 PM
Sermon, Kol Nidre 2022/5783
Let me set the stage. There we were. Our ancestors, the Children of Israel, in the wilderness of Sinai. Before we even knew the details, we answered God with one voice, expressing our eagerness to be a holy nation. Standing at the foot of Mount...Read more...
New Year, New Generations
09/29/2022 10:40:03 AM
Sermon, Rosh Hashanah 2022/5783
I still remember a short conversation I shared with my mom when I was a child. My family was out to dinner at a local coffee shop. The year was probably 2001 because I believe we were discussing politics and the looming threat of terrorism that gripped...Read more...
SH'MA YISRAEL, Listen
09/29/2022 10:25:28 AM
Sermon, Erev Rosh Hashanah 2022/5783
How important is the skill of listening? It’s so important that the first experience human beings have of the Divine is an auditory one. Adam and Eve “heard" the sound of God walking about in the Garden. The earliest humans no more saw God than...Read more...
