Four Species, One Congregation
10/01/2023 10:00:34 AM
Beginning at sundown this evening, and continuing for the next seven days, Jews around the world will celebrate the festival of Sukkot. In addition to spending time in the booths or huts for which the holiday is named, the signature observance of this festival is the ritual of the...Read more...
jonah, god, and our capacity to change
09/25/2023 04:35:55 PM
Jonah, God, and Our Capacity to Change
Sermon Yom Kippur 5784
September 25, 2023
One of the benefits of being part of a religious community is that we are able to tap into a wisdom tradition, and during uncertain times, when we may feel...Read more...
living the good life
09/25/2023 04:23:47 PM
Living the Good Life: Making Room for Awe
Sermon, Kol Nidre 5784
September 25, 2023
In September, 2014, to celebrate my fiftieth birthday, my wife, Sandra, who knows me really, really well, took me to a concert at Davies Symphony Hall...Read more...
putting kindness at the center
09/22/2023 10:00:00 AM
Putting Kindness at the Center
Sermon, Rosh Hashanah
September 16, 2023
Near the end of the Torah, almost at the end of the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses instructs the community that every seventh year, they are to gather during Sukkot....Read more...
faith in a time of uncertainty
09/20/2023 12:00:43 PM
Sermon, Erev Rosh Hashanah
September 15, 2023
High Holy Day sermons feature two sometimes opposing features. Their themes represent the times, values, and priorities that span not only decades but centuries and millennia as well. But they are also...Read more...
bet mitzvah: A MORE INCLUSIVE NAME
08/31/2023 12:20:00 PM
As we usher in the new year, we are introducing a new name for our B’nai Mitzvah program, and it reflects core values in our Peninsula Temple Sholom community. At a joyful orientation for this year’s new cohort of youth who will celebrate their Jewish coming of age ceremony by leading a...Read more...
THRUSTING INTO THE UNKNOWN
08/01/2023 10:01:41 AM
Every so often, I find myself falling down the rabbit hole of checking what programs or opportunities are available for Jewish young professionals like me. Since moving to the Bay Area, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Late Shabbat programs and JCC events for the...Read more...
new beginnings
07/01/2023 10:30:42 AM
I feel so fortunate to begin my position as Director of Education, which will be new for me, but has a long history of great success at PTS. I just had the privilege of taking an almost 4 month sabbatical from full time work. I feel fulfilled and ready to bring creativity and enthusiasm...Read more...
where in the world is moldova?
07/01/2023 10:29:00 AM
Where in the world is Moldova? When I signed up to volunteer, my husband asked if it was the imaginary country in The Princess Diaries! Well, it’s not. In fact, Moldova is a small country sitting between east and west and playing an...Read more...
Empathy for the Outsider
06/23/2023 10:00:49 AM
D'var Torah, June 23, 2023
In honor of Pride month, I want to talk about a verse of Torah whose message is close to my heart, Exodus, chapter 22, verse 21, from Parshat Mishpatim. It talks about a specific mitzvah:
You shall...Read more...
