Dear Friends,
The joy and serenity of our Shabbat was pierced this morning with the news of the killing of eleven people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. This afternoon, what we no doubt suspected was confirmed by city officials: that this heinous act of cruelty was borne out of hatred for our people, our values, and our way of life.
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This sermon was given on Erev Yom Kippur by Rabbis Sunshine, Roffman & Wallach On Erev Yom Kippur, our prayers begin to slip the earthly bonds of gravity. By the conclusion of this most sacred day, they are propelled straight through the gates of heaven. And what guides their way? A ladder. Ya’ale tachanuneinu me’erv, v’yavo shavatenu mi’boker, v’yera’eh rinuneinu ad e’rev. There’s a story told about a man who was walking down Sderot Rothschild, one of the main streets in Tel Aviv, when all of a sudden he had a heart attack and immediately lost consciousness. When he opened his eyes, he looked around and found himself standing at the entrance to a hotel with impeccably groomed lawns, a magnificent pool with a lazy river, a lobby generously decorated with beautiful white marble, and a restaurant with a mouth-watering buffet clearly visible from the lobby. The man was at once excited to see all of these sights, and also puzzled as to where he was. So he went up to the reception desk and inquired, “where am I?”, to which the manager on duty replied, “you’re in heaven.” The man was still processing this amazing response when suddenly he was jarred awake by the current coming from defibrillator paddles on his chest. He was relieved to gradually discern that he had been revived and was very much still alive, but in the back of his mind he still recalled this incredible vision of what lay in store for him in heaven when his time ultimately came. by Rabbi Ari Sunshine and the Klei Kodesh As we reconvene in these coming days and weeks, we want to share with you a few important changes in our ritual life that you will notice when you come to shul. Our first core value in our new vision statement is that we are a caring community—one that is inclusive, warm, and welcoming to members and guests. We believe that each of these changes will help ensure that each soul who walks into our building, and participates in the life of our community, can see themselves represented in our rituals and liturgy. We also believe that these new initiatives will make our services more accessible and inviting, building and strengthening connections between each of us and our tradition and between us and our fellow congregants. By Rabbi Ari SunshineLast week I returned from three whirlwind days in Washington, D.C., at AIPAC’s 2018 Policy Conference. For those who have not been to PC (shorthand lingo for “Policy Conference”!) previously, it may be hard to picture the buzz and excitement that comes with attending a conference of 18,000 pro-Israel activists from across America. By Rabbi Ari Sunshine Afternoon, or night? I write these words with my body not really knowing exactly what time it is, having just returned yesterday from eight days in Israel participating in our Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas’ Chai Mission. This was a wonderful—and whirlwind—trip around Israel, for more than 70 travelers, a group that bonded together nicely. About half of the group had never been to Israel before, and another large portion of the group had not been there in many years. In just over a week, we were all able to powerfully and memorably experience Israel and strengthen our understanding of, and connection to, both the land and the State of Israel. Sermon—Parashat Bo 5778/January 20, 2018 A Tribute to Rabbi Leonard Cahan, z”l By Rabbi Ari Sunshine In this morning’s parasha we get a heavy dose of Pesach—would you believe it’s only 10 weeks away now?—including a description of the first Pesach in Egypt, as well as the instructions for an annual celebration in perpetuity. And, speaking of Pesach, we also find in this parasha three of the four questions that make their way into the Haggadah as the questions of the four sons, or four children, four different types of individuals and learners reacting in their own way to the Seder—and Exodus—experience. by Rabbi Ari Sunshine Tonight begins the 18th of the month of Tevet in the Jewish calendar, which happens to mark the 45th yahrzeit of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, z”l, one of the great theologians of modern Jewish history. Heschel was trained as a scholar in Germany and raised in a Chasidic environment in Warsaw and once seemed destined to become a Chasidic rebbe in Poland. His life ultimately took a different path and he became a renowned professor at JTS (the Jewish Theological Seminary) for over 25 years. Heschel’s piety was grounded in his Jewish experience and life, but also led him to conclude that religious life and faith is a fundamental human impulse, not exclusively a Jewish one, and moreover that no one religion could claim a monopoly on religious truth. |
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