As we bask in the warm beauty of summer on the North Fork, we find ourselves in the middle of one of Judaism’s great annual events — an unfolding drama of alienation and reconciliation. It begins with the disastrous “Three Weeks,” culminating in Tisha B’Av — the anniversary of the destruction of the Temples and the horrifying alienation of exile. This is followed by the “Seven Weeks” of consolation, culminating in Rosh Hashanah, the Ten [...]
The morning service is not one long extended event, but rather a series of events, like scenes and acts in a play, or movements in a symphony. For those who understand it, it is filled with sweeping crescendos and moments of high drama. The basic structure is this: We begin with a short series of prayers, focusing on our personal identity, place, and time. This is called Birkot Hashachar, morning blessings. This is followed by Pesukei D’zimra, [...]
Prayer is the pathway to G-d, the experience of a dimension of our lives which transcends the day-to-day, and reminds us that we have a place in eternity. Sounds great, but we live at a time when talent for praying is not our strongest suit. To pray well, we must get in touch with our deepest selves. That is no easy task. To pray well, we must “know before Whom we stand.” No easy task, [...]
The first of the ten commandments begins with the word “Anochi,” meaning “I,” as in “I am the Lord your G-d…” The mystics point out that the first letter in “Anochi” is an aleph—which paradoxically enough is a silent letter. The idea being that before G-d even speaks a word, the world stands in silent anticipation for whatever concrete statement is about to be released from the infinite. The “silent letter’ before a parent speaks is [...]
“For ten days, the gates are open, and the world is fluid. We are finally awake, if only in fits and starts, if only to toss and turn. For ten days, transformation is within our grasp. For ten days, we can imagine ourselves not as fixed and immutable beings, but rather as a limitless field upon which qualities and impulses rise up with particular intensity...” — Rabbi Alan Lew This Is Real and You Are [...]
Dear Tifereth Israel Friends, Cantor Ze'ev Weinstein and I are excited to usher in the new year with you in less than a week! We are planning what we hope will be meaningful and participatory high holiday services, filled with singing and learning. Tashlich sheets (as well as birdseed) will also be available at the synagogue on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. Birdseed!? It turns out that bread isn't healthy for fish or birds, [...]
In the reflective spirit that follows our national celebration of independence on the Fourth of July, we are invited not just to look back — but to look deeper. The fireworks may have faded, but the question remains: What is freedom? And how do we live it? Both the Bible and the American story are conversations about freedom. They are messy, complex, and hopeful — not just about liberty as an idea, but as [...]
Dear Members and Friends, Just last Thursday, on June 13, the date that echoes the 613 commandments of our tradition, I reached out to you in the wake of Israel’s preemptive operation in Iran. We were all feeling the weight of uncertainty and concern for our homeland and for the Jewish people everywhere. What is emerging now is nothing short of remarkable. In just a few days, history has continued to unfold at lightning [...]
With the selection of Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost, and in light of the film “Conclave,” which I happened to watch by chance on a flight back from Florida, I’ve been reflecting on the difference between perception and reality in religious institutions. The film was hard to watch. According to friends in the clergy, Hollywood took too many liberties and included a number of inaccuracies. But the hardest concept to explain to secular audiences, and even [...]
The following letter to the editors was sent to the members of GEM (Greenport Ecumenical Ministries), and is reprinted here, with permission: Dear GEMs, On behalf of Congregation Tifereth Israel and myself, I extend our heartfelt condolences to our Catholic brothers and sisters on the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis. His papacy has accompanied me through most of my rabbinic journey, and when I think of the role of the pope through a [...]
Get Social