On Our Way to Liberation, With a Little Help From our Friends
Each time I get to lead t’filah with our 6th and 7th graders, I pause when we arrive at Mi Chamocha and ask: what does this prayer mark? What does it help us remember? And they respond: This prayer is about freedom! It is about the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt! They sang it when they […]
Navigating the December Dilemma
Nothing stirs up feelings quite like the winter holiday season. Celebrations that should be joyful can become a source of conflict. Someone recently reflected to me, “I get anxious just thinking about it. The Christmas tree in the living room was a source of tension instead of joy. We were both angry.” She asked, “Rabbi, […]
TBE Bends Toward Justice Recap
It was cold on the evening of Wednesday, November 13, but the Temple Beth El congregants who showed up for the “TBE Bends Toward Justice: Congregational Report Back” were warmed not just by the coffee and tea they drank but by the Community Organizing team’s presentation of the work they have been doing. Rabbi Klass […]
Standing at the Door
For the past 20 years I have stood at the door of Temple Beth El Religious School to welcome our students as they enter. Admittedly, not every student walks in with a huge smile on their face. A few look less than thrilled to be there and one or two may have been coerced by […]
Take The Long Way ‘Round: Yom Kippur 5780 Sermon by Rabbi Dusty Klass
Co-written with Rabbi Leah Citrin With thanks to Rabbis Asher Knight, Susan Landau, and Miriam Farber Wajnberg for their edits and suggestions, and to Jeff Trost for patiently plodding the depths of the Grand Canyon with me. Most mornings, my commute sends me from Central Ave to Pecan to 7th to Laurel to Randolph to […]
I Do Not Sew – A Yizkor (Memorial) Drash
I do not sew. Sewing and cooking – some of the traditional aspects of being a homemaker – are not my forte. I am envious of those who do it well. I love filling our home with love, yet sometimes I wish I knew how to fill it with good food or with the quick […]
Shavat Vayinafash: Be Still and Breathe Again: Kol Nidre 5780 Sermon by Rabbi Asher Knight
This summer, after an intense eight months, Ana and I took Micah and Jonas to the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. We stayed in a rustic cabin with family. There was no television or cell reception. We spent our days outdoors hiking, exploring, swimming, taking naps, reading, laughing, and avoiding bears. The long summer days were […]
Strengthening the Fabric of Our Community: Erev Rosh Hashanah 5780 Sermon by Rabbi Dusty Klass
With gratitude to Rabbi Leah Citrin for her thought partnership, Rabbis Asher Knight and Susan Landau for their editing, and Rabbi Judy Schindler and Cantor Mary Thomas for their contributions. Thanks, also, to Kayla Piscatelli for creating the graphics! Everything I know about community, I learned at temple. I grew up in a synagogue that […]
A Lesson in Ritual from My Five-Year-Old Grandson by Joy Miller
My journey into Judaism started 40 years ago through marriage to my husband, Fred. I had no idea when I decided to convert how much the religion would impact my life… from lighting the Sabbath candles to celebrating the holidays with my family, these rituals have given my life meaning and purpose. When I was least expecting it, […]
