Second Day Rosh Hashanah 5778 D’var Torah September 22, 2017 Gary Holloway Shana Tovah! When Rabbi asked if I could deliver the sermon today, I felt very honored, very surprised, and very scared. What in the world would I talk about? In the end, I’ve decided to offer up some results of study and life […]
Archive | D’var Torah
Parshat Yitro, Exodus 18:1-20:23
Submission for Wendy Blickstein Memorial D’var Torah Competition by Ana Bane Shabbat Shalom! Many of you are probably familiar with Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. I like to visualize a stone thrown into a pond. The stone drops into the water, and […]
Temple Beth Sholom – Torah Study July 9, 2016: Korah (Numbers 16:1 – 18:32) (p. 315 JPS, p. 1126 old Plaut)
Mike Rubin Theme: How does one connect with (interact with, gain access to) the Divine? [or How do Jews connect with (interact with, gain access to) the Divine?] Do we need Priests to connect with (interact with, gain access to) the Divine? Why was the institution of the Priesthood established in the Torah? Do […]
Shemini – Perception, do we care or not?
Yesterday we studied parashat Shemini, focusing on kashrut. The hour flew by and we were not able to fully develop so many of the thoughts and conversations we began. Hopefully, here we can continue and allow each other the opportunity to expand on what was provoked. Torah study begins with the peshat, the literal meaning. […]
TBS Teens Take On Washington DC!
Last weekend I had the privilege of traveling with six of our 11th/12th grade students to L’Taken. This four day intensive social justice program is organized by the Reform movement’s legislative office, the Religious Action Center. During this seminar students learned about current issues in our country and the Jewish values around each. The culmination […]
Love Your Neighbor – suggestion or mitzvah?
This past weekend the KKK, who are alive and well in Orange County, announced they were going to hold a rally against immigration in Anaheim under their “white lives matter” theme. First, it’s sad that the KKK still have an active presence here in Orange County and this hatred against the Jewish community and other […]
Parashat Ki Tisa – Exodus 30:11 – 34:35
Can You Really Ask God That? By Rabbi Beth Kalisch This week’s Torah portion, Ki Tisa, interrupts the description of the building of the Tabernacle with a long narrative section that includes the story of the Golden Calf, the smashing of the Ten Commandments, the carving of the second set of tablets, and — […]
Parashat T’tzaveh – Exodus 27:20 – 30:10
The Light that Brings Us Closer to God By Rabbi Beth Kalisch This week’s Torah portion, Parashat T’tzaveh, continues the detailed instructions for the building and decoration of the Tabernacle, our ancestors’ portable sanctuary during the years of wandering in the desert. Most of the details discussed in T’tzaveh, like bejeweled vestments to be worn […]
Parashat Mishpatim – Exodus 21:1 – 24:18
Being Present in a World of Distractions By Rabbi Daniel J. Feder In a world of distracted people and shortened attention spans, there is a verse in Mishpatim that helps us regain our focus. This striking verse is from Exodus 24:12: “The Eternal One said to Moses, ‘Come up to Me on the mountain and […]
Parashat Yitro – Exodus 18:1 – 20:23
Beyond the Noise by Rabbi Beth Kalisch The Revelation on Mt. Sinai . . . the giving of the Ten Commandments . . . our Torah portion, Yitro, describes the scene with great fanfare. The text has given cinematographers plenty of good material: thunder and lightning, smoke rising up into the sky, the whole mountain […]