In the month of February a 15-year-old girl was forced to flee her country. She was too young to make this decision on her own, so her mother and step-father made the decision they felt was best for her. Her father died when she was just 8 months old, and while life had always been Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Jordi Schuster Battis Nishmat kol chai t’varech et shimcha, Adonai Eloheinu Let the soul of every living thing bless your name, Adonai our God…. Ka-amur: L’David — Barchi nafshi et Adonai, v’chol k’rovai et shem kodsho. As it says in the book of Psalms, Let my soul bless God, and let my very Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Jordi Schuster Battis and Cantor Hollis Suzanne Schachner R’ Jordi: A few weeks ago, we read the story of the death of two sons of Moses’s brother Aaron, who die in the Israelites’ sanctuary in the Wilderness. Immediately after their deaths, Aaron is initially entirely silent. Our commentators ask why: Is he too Continue Reading »
Eloheinu shebeshamayim sheboreh hakol vebarech aleinu – Our God in Heaven, the Creator of all, and the One who brings blessing to us. I am humbled to stand here at this moment in this sacred place to remember. I stand here as the grandchild of a woman who fled from Berlin as a child after experiencing Continue Reading »
Eloheinu shebeshamayim sheboreh hakol vebarech aleinu – Our God in Heaven, the Creator of all, and the One who brings blessing to us. On this day, as we remember that darkest time in human history, we ask that we will be a generation that experiences light and not darkness, that brings peace and not violence, that Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Jordi Schuster Battis I am in a generation that was taught so much aboutanti-Semitism and Holocaust,and pogroms and the Inquisition, and the Crusades. Always with the message: Never Forget. And always with the message: Never Again. What I took away from those conversations as a child was that If you learn enough about history— Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Jordi Schuster Battis In our ark, behind me here, are our precious Torah scrolls. Each one contains the five books of Moses, the most precious and ancient stories of our tradition, written by hand, with intention, and with love. We call our Torah our tree of life, because the stories and obligations it Continue Reading »
It is hard to know what to say. On Saturday morning we were gathered in this Sanctuary celebrating a young boy becoming a man. Our hearts were filled with joy and happiness. And then the service ended, and we heard the shocking and horrific news from Pittsburgh. And my heart was broken. Broken for those Continue Reading »
I’m sorry, may I ask you a question? I’m sorry, this isn’t what I ordered. I’m sorry, could I please have a glass of water? I’m sorry, you seem to be standing on my foot. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry There are two things that the British do more than any other people in Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Jordi Schuster Battis I have a big question that has been looming over me leading up to the High Holy Days this year. It is something I have been thinking about a lot, and it feels really timely right now. It is: Why am I so tired? A peshat, straightforward, simple answer you Continue Reading »