Hineh mah tov u-mah nayim shevet achim gam yachad. It is so good to be together. For me, this is an experience of reunion with so many of you, relationships stretching back close to 40 years. We shared so many joys, sad moments. We dreamed of building a Jewish community. Our hope has been realized. Continue Reading »
The night before I went to sleep-away camp for the first time, I threw a fit. I don’t think tantrum even does it justice. I cried, I screamed, I railed at my parents for having the audacity to spend thousands of dollars so that I could spend two weeks away with my friends. This continued Continue Reading »
A few weeks ago, I sat before a man who, in the company of strangers, sat with his head bowed and his hands open in his lap. He was a white man in his 60s with cropped grey hair – wore an ironed shirt and a tie. He spoke plainly and slowly, saying “I know Continue Reading »
Erev Rosh Hashanah Sermon 2024 Transforming Loneliness into Opportunities for Community Rabbi Lisa Eiduson Temple Shir Tikva Wayland MA The English writer and scholar Noreena Hertz reflects on her childhood: “‘My throat hurts. It’s burning. It really hurts. I can’t go to school.’ It is a year of constant sore throats, streaming noses, Continue Reading »
(A video of the sermon with subtitles is available here) In June of 1966, then Senator Bobby Kennedy delivered what is considered by many to be his most famous speech. The Day of Affirmation Address, also known as the “Ripple of Hope” speech was delivered at the University of Cape Town and provided him with Continue Reading »
(This Op Ed first appeared in the MetroWest Daily News on September 29th. 2024, it is available here) On Wednesday evening, the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah begins. For Jews around the world this marks the beginning of the new year. Normally we prepare for this holiday with a sense of excitement and joy. While Continue Reading »
(This article first appeared in the Fall/Rosh Hashanah issue of Shalom Magazine) When we approach the secular New Year alongside countdowns, parties, and the ball drop the major way that we mark the transition is through the making of resolutions. These can have varying levels of success, although they often do not prove to be Continue Reading »
Dear TST Family, As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, our hearts are full of many emotions. We feel enormously grateful for our TST community and appreciative of the opportunity that Thanksgiving provides to pause and reflect. Yet, our hearts still ache with the heaviness of the past several weeks and the present moment. Continue Reading »
April 3rd I am handing over the blog today, to share my wife Micol’s reflections on our visit to Thereisenstadt. She says it beautifully: “My eyes and my heart are heavy. Yesterday we traveled to Terezin, known as its German name Teresienstadt by many. Terezin, a fortress city built in 1780 about 30 miles north Continue Reading »
Originally posted here: https://www.jewishboston.com/read/mitzvah-day-a-runaway-success-at-temple-shir-tikva-in-wayland/ On March 10, over 350 volunteers packed more than 33,000 meals for Meals of Hope as Mitzvah Day roared back to life for the first time since 2019. On a sun-splashed Sunday morning on March 10, Temple Shir Tikva partnered with Meals of Hope for its annual “Mitzvah Day” to pack 33,000 meals Continue Reading »