Rabbi Bellows gives sermons almost every Erev Shabbat (Friday evening) usually based on that week's Torah portion or with reference to an upcoming holiday. The purpose of a sermon is to use ancient teachings from our tradition to bring spiritual meaning to our lives and to inspire us to act to make our world more whole and just.
I found the following quote from actor Morgan Freeman quite intriguing: “I knew at an early age I wanted to act. Acting was always easy for me. I don’t believe in predestination, but I do believe that once you get where ever it is you are going, that is where you were going to be. Was… Continue Reading
Gut Yontif! As many of you know, Seth and I are – ok, I’ll just say it – we’re Trekkies. Now, where are my fellow Trekkies? Maybe you’ve even noticed the stickers on our car. We’ve attended four Star Trek Conventions over the past few years (and Spencer won cutest Captain Picard in a costume… Continue Reading
“Days are scrolls – write on them what you want to be remembered.” This quote from Bachya ibn Pakuda, an 11th century rabbi, captures one of the key philosophies of Judaism. We have the opportunity to create the lives that we want in the here and now, and we hope to have the ability to… Continue Reading
“And after these things, Abraham was tested.” Each year we return to this haunting text. Each year, we hear the words, “Take your son, your only son, your beloved, Isaac, and take him to Moriah up onto the mountain that I will show you, and offer him up there as a sacrifice.” Every year, we watch as… Continue Reading
Ok, stop me if you’ve heard this one. Two old Jewish men are sitting on a park bench. One looks at the other and says, “Oy.” The other looks back and says, “Oy.” This is repeated again and again until the first older man says, “I thought we weren’t going to talk politics today.”[1] How… Continue Reading
This past week in Israel was a roller coaster of emotions. In a number of ways, as some might say, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The Best of Times: On Monday, May 14, Israel celebrated its 70th Anniversary, a true milestone worth acknowledging from deep in our hearts.… Continue Reading
Rabbi Harold Kushner, in his ground-breaking book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, shares the following anecdote from the early days of his rabbinate: “I was a young rabbi just starting out in my profession, when I was called on to try to help a family through an unexpected and almost unbearable tragedy. This… Continue Reading
Tonight is the culmination of the last ten days, or, perhaps, the entire last year – We have reached the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, the day to admit to our wrongdoings, our faults, our flaws. The day we acknowledge the ways in which we’ve missed the mark, we’ve behaved poorly, or wronged our… Continue Reading
The blast of the Shofar is one of the most unique, visceral sounds we ever hear. There is something primal about it – air blown through a ram’s horn, and the resulting sound can’t help but stir something deep inside each one of us. The shofar has long been linked to the observance of the… Continue Reading
The Pursuit of Happiness Sometimes it’s so easy to feel happy – when we hear just the right song, or the right movie, spend time with the right people, nosh on the right food, or visit the right place. We are all well aware that we can find temporary happiness in certain things, or people,… Continue Reading
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