On July 2, I was asked to deliver an invocation at the Village of Orient’s observance of Heritage Day. In planning my remarks to the villagers and guests, I was reminded that only a few years previous, I had the distinct honor to share that spot with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor. This time it was Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell, and Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski. Below is the text of my invocation [...]

As her three-year term as the president of our beloved CTI closes, I want to thank Judy Weiner, and express my deepest gratitude and heartfelt appreciation for her outstanding leadership and unwavering dedication throughout the time. Her steadfast commitment to the growth and prosperity of our synagogue have helped propel it into the future, especially during the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic. From the moment the pandemic struck, she swiftly pushed to implement [...]

Over the past few decades, a new initiative toward peace has emerged — Jewish-Christian interfaith pilgrimages to the Holy Land. These inclusive visits to sites holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims lay the groundwork for understanding and acceptance among the travelers and, in a way, serve as test cases for peace in a controlled environment. Pilgrims extending their hands to others can help to turn swords into plowshares. The Catholic Church’s Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) [...]

My class recently visited “The Sassoons,” an exhibit at the Jewish Museum in Manhattan. Through family photographs, documents, artwork, and textiles, we observed the history and legacy of this prominent and wealthy Jewish family of Iraqi origin. They were known as the “Rothschilds of the East.” It is a family story told through four generations of traders, socialites, soldiers and hedonists — how they rose in prominence, their philanthropic and cultural contributions, and their impact on Jewish life [...]

Passover is just a week away — the spring holiday of new beginnings. For Jews, a new beginning always dovetails a previous episode. We are conflicted by hope for the future, and also harsh memories. Passover is one of those memorial days that evokes both, especially due to its proximity to Yom HaShoah, a week later. On both, we stop to reflect on the afflictions of our ancestors. The Yellow Candle Project is a special way [...]

It was an exceptionally stormy Monday when we arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on Feb. 6. On our way from the airport to the hotel in Tel Aviv, hail was falling on the windshield of our minibus. Our group of 12 pilgrims, none ever having been to the holy land, were ushered into the country by some of the worst weather in a century. That night, the enormous earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, burying [...]

It had been raining all day last Thursday, but nothing could wash away my excitement. It was my first day back on campus after nearly a decade. The precipitation made me feel like a fish returned to the water. When I started at CTI, I was about to finish a second master’s degree at the Jewish Theological Seminary, this time in Modern Jewish Studies. But things got busy, and I was unable to complete the [...]

This month, we lost an amazing man — Rabbi Elliott Spar. Elliott was a colleague, a friend, and a mentor. One of his children, Ari Spar, is a member of our shul. For almost four decades, he was the rabbi of the Temple Beth Shalom congregation in Smithtown, the same pulpit for his entire rabbinate. He retired here in Mattituck. I first met Elliott as my student, when Dr. Don Russo and I began [...]

 Last Friday, I returned from Israel with a small group of our congregants. During the trip, we took our time strolling throughout the land. It was a beautiful and intimate experience I am still savoring. Those who travel to Israel for the first time often are surprised to discover how hustling and bustling it is. Serious yet buoyant. The Biblical land is hidden under many layers of highways and new high-rise buildings popping up everywhere. [...]

Have you noticed that everything is moving faster these days…? A year feels like a month, a month like a week, and a week is a day. It was wonderful seeing everybody on the High Holidays. It was my 11th year celebrating with Congregation Tifereth Israel, but it felt as though we were there just a month ago. On Yom Kippur this year, I was bestowing a blessing I called “May you Fast Forward!” — to [...]