Seeing Palaces by Cantor Mary Rebecca Thomas
Achat sha’alti mei’eit Adonai, otah avakeish – One thing I ask of Adonai, one request – Shivti b’veit Adonai kol y’mei chayai, lachazot b’noam Adonai ul’vakeir b’heichalo That I may dwell Adonai’s house all of the days of my life, to behold the pleasantness of Adonai and visit God’s palace. Psalm 27 is dedicated to […]
The Gift by Susan Jacobs, Director of Education
I am always so excited and a little nervous every year at this time. We are in the count-down days before religious school begins. The office is abuzz with activity trying to get everything ready for opening day, September 11th. I look forward to the excitement and activity that fills the lobby and halls as […]
Possibilities Ahead by Cantor Andrew Bernard
It has always seemed a little strange to me that the Jewish months start on the new moon. If you are going to look up into the sky for seasonal markers, the full moon would be a much clearer and more dramatic signpost. The new moon is rather obscure, whereas a full moon lights up […]
Fuel for Elul – Preparing for the High Holy Days by Cantor Mary Rebecca Thomas
September 2016 Elul is back to school shopping. Elul is the letter you get from the dentist reminding you to schedule your next cleaning and x-rays. Elul is that chapter in the healthy eating book that gives you the grocery list and tells you to clean out your cabinets. Elul is a warning shot across […]
Nitzavim: Standing With, Standing For, Standing Together by Rabbi Dusty Klass
In a Torah portion familiar to those of us who have begun thinking about the High Holy Days (welcome to the rabbinate!) we read the following words: “Atem nitzavim hayom, kulchem – You stand here this day, all of you, before Adonai your God…” Last Thursday, I drove to Raleigh for the launch of Nitzavim: […]
Sh’ma Yisrael: Listen Israel by Rabbi Asher Knight
On the third Shabbat of this month, we will read a verse of Torah that is better known than any other in our scriptures. Recognized as the watchword of our faith, the verse contains six Hebrew words: Sh’ma Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad Listen Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One. Venerated by centuries […]
Accidental Intertextuality and You by Cantor Mary Rebecca Thomas
You are in your car. That song from the summer of your senior year comes on the radio. What happens? Do you rock out? Do you sit back in your chair at the red light and sigh a little? What’s the sigh about? Is it because you remember what it felt like to be young […]
The Journey Home by Rabbi Asher Knight
I arrived in Charlotte having spent three days on the road with my good friend, Mike Sims. Mike is the Vice-President of Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, my previous congregation. Over the last nine years, we partnered together on many projects. We taught confirmation and led the annual class trip to Washington DC. When Mike learned […]
Happy New Year (again)! by Cantor Andrew Bernard
Marking time is very important in Judaism. Time is, in fact, the first thing in the Torah that God declares “holy.” Throughout six days of creation, the topography of the earth, the celestial bodies, the plants, insects and animals all appear and are deemed “good.” The pinnacle of the process, the creation of human beings, […]
