Call Me Candace by Candace Naliboff, Director of Member Services
Call me Candace, call me Mrs. Naliboff, call me mom…you can call me anything as long as you don’t call me late to supper. How many of you had a mom who said that to you? I may just be talking to the folks in my age group on this one, but I clearly remember […]
Bright Lights by Dr. Laura Bernstein, Executive Director
Chanukah is a story of miracles and reminds us that light defeats darkness. It’s a story of challenge and a story of hope. This Chanukah I reflect on the number of bright lights in my life and in the life of Temple Beth El. On the personal side, my life is filled with weekly trips […]
Six Months as Your Rabbi: Navigating Protests and Partisan Politics by Rabbi Asher Knight
New rabbis are often given advice. One sage suggestion: steer clear of divisive issues and partisan politics. To be honest, the last six months have not been easy for a new rabbi who is trying to learn the landscape of our congregation and Shalom Park. Between protests over the killing of Keith Lamont Scott, which […]
Contentment by Cantor Mary R. Thomas
Who is the rich one? He who is happy with his lot, as it says, “When you eat [from] the work of your hands, you will be happy, and it will be well with you” (Psalms 128:2). “You will be happy” in this world, and “it will be well with you” in the world to […]
Telling the Story by Susan Jacobs, Director of Education
“Just as Hanukkah candles are lighted one by one from a single flame, so the tale of the miracle is passed from one man to another, from one house to another, and to the whole House of Israel throughout the generations.” — Judah Leon Magnes This is the week that we will pull out all […]
Digging Our Fathers’ Wells? by Rabbi Dusty Klass
“Like father, like son,” reads the old adage. And indeed, many Torah scholars note the parallels between Abraham’s journey and his son Isaac’s journey, which we learn about in this week’s Torah portion. Both do a lot of traveling, both grapple with foreign leaders and attempt to pass their wives off as sisters as a […]
Chanukah: Lighting the Lights That Help Us See More Clearly by Rabbi Dusty Klass
I just spent a whirlwind eight days in Israel; full of listening and learning – and a lot of sitting in rooms and meeting important people. My time in Jerusalem has given me many things to think about, and wrestle with, as all good trips to Jerusalem do. And as with all trips to Israel, […]
Community Gatherings, Large and Small by Cantor Andrew Bernard
One of key features of Judaism is the emphasis on community. We celebrate as a community. We mourn as a community. We pray as a community. We work and play as a community. We gather as a community for a variety of functions. This December, we have two special communal gatherings. The first is […]
Our Jewish Future: We Need Your Help by Rabbi Asher Knight
On Rosh Hashanah, I spoke about a challenge of our modern society: We often fail to relate, face-to-face with family, friends, neighbors, and our fellow Jews in our congregation. Consider the effects of the geographic reality of the greater Charlotte area. Temple Beth El’s 3,300 souls live in over 10 zip-codes, spread-out over large geographic […]
