Rabbi's Blog

Guest speaker, Rabbi Rosalie Osian, speaks of a story of birth and transformation, of being forgotten and remembered, a story of 6 women and 1 man, a story about slavery. 

Rosalie's Drash is from Shabbat morning services on Saturday, January 9, 2021. 

Seeing the Light:  Torah for Hannukah. Words of Torah, and Hanukkah, from Rabbi Marc from Shabbat morning services on December 12, 2020. 

Words of Torah from Rabbi Marc from our Shabbat services on November, 28, 2020

Race and Religion | Conversation with special guest Rev. Pedro Silva and Rabbi Marc

View the conversation here:

I imagine, if we're honest, we all have memories of the past that bring a sting of shame and remorse as we face aspects of ourselves at different ages. 

Hear powerful Words of Torah from Rabbi Marc from Yom Kippur 5781. 2020 has been a challenging year in so many capacities but we must confront our feelings on race and racism. Perhaps these words can serve as the beginning of your awareness of the need to stand up and name something for what it is. 

"The heartbeat of racism is denial. The heartbeat of antiracism is confession" - Ibram X. Kendi. 

Hear Rabbi Marc's entire sermon here:

It's not about education, it's about Teshuva! Yes, there is so much collective Teshuva, repentance, that we need to do. The Jewish community has been far from immune to the disease of racism. Even though our tradition demands that we see every human being as a reflection of the divine image, deserving dignity and respect. 

Justice, justice shall you pursue!

As we welcome 5781 and look back, it has been a challenging year. Here are Words of Torah and Rabbi's Reflections from Rosh HaShanah 2020. 

Erev Rosh HaShanah - Angels of Friendship

Rosh HaShanah Day #1 - Yes to Life!

Rosh HaShanah Day #2 - The Master Key

UpA few people wondered if my sermons were available to listen to, so now my Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur talks are available as podcasts for those who want to hear them.

Episode 97 – Trees, Animals and the Weather

Episode 98 – Beyond Selfie

Episode 96 – Standing Up!

You can listen on soundcloud here or on itunes here

Since Rosh HaShanah, the community has planted over 1800...Read more...

Social media. Oy. Hate it, love it, use it, abuse it; for many of us, me included, it can suck away a lot of time and trigger plenty of instant, strong emotions, often of outrage!  I am fairly new to the party and, yet I created a new hashtag recently, without even really understanding what that means – #shofie, a selfie of me blowing the shofar. I posted two or three of these videos on instagram and then some others out there posted...Read more...

Trees by Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts...Read more...

Saturday Night in Krakow – November 10th, 2018

Here they have Cheder and Chevre and Hamsa; bars, cafes and restaurants; the locals pronounce that ch like cheese, cheddar, rather than Hebrew or Yiddish for a room, a gathering space, a school.

I wandered across the square for services in the ancient synagogue of the Rema (Remu here), as Shabbat was beginning.

Every restaurant is...Read more...

2018On a train. A Jew watching the Polish forests flying past the window

In silent knowing; as if their deep roots and dying leaves have never stopped

Holding memory and telling stories.

Hard to push away images of Jews in cattle cars seeing the same landscapes

On a forced journey to their deaths

Or the Poles watching indifferently perhaps, seeing through their tram windows

A people brutalized,...Read more...

It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood!

A beautiful day for a neighbor

Would you be mine?

Could you be mine?

It’s a neighborly day in this beauty wood

A neighborly day for a beauty

Would you be mine?

Could you be mine?

I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you

I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you

So, Let’s make the most of...Read more...

The story is told that the raven and the nightingale once had a competition to decide which of them had the sweetest voice.  All the animals gathered to listen and the pig was appointed judge. The nightingale sang so sweetly, the raven cried out hoarsely, and the pig, whose decision was final, ruled that the raven was the winner.  As agreed, the raven pecked out the nightingale’s eyes and flew away triumphant. A...Read more...

Doris Small – Devorah bat Moshe v’Hinde Miriam z”l
July 20th 1923 – September 3rd 2018

There has always been something about this time of year that I associate with Doris.  It seems that her falls, her time in hospital, rehab and nursing homes have so often been around Rosh HaShanah, and when I would visit and often blow the shofar for her, as I did on Sunday the day before she left...Read more...

I met my old friend Rebecca in the remarkable and exquisite setting of The American Colony Hotel in East Jerusalem, a surprising haven of tranquility in a divided city.  After our meeting, I walked through the streets of this part of the city, so different and unknown to me compared to West Jerusalem, whose streets are as familiar to me as an old friend.  Not so many tourists here, just the Arab/Palestinian population living their...Read more...