Rabbi Rena Rifkin shares the complex emotions she encountered on her recent trip to Israel. “I notice that there is a sadness and a rawness in the air,” she observed. “The colors of the Israeli sunset feel muted.” But despite it all, she leaves with only one question: “When can I get back on a plane and return to the place that my heart holds dear?”
Sometimes anxiety amplifies our worries and we get caught in negative thought loops “that spin on and on,” says Rabbi Samantha Natov. “What does Judaism teach us about breaking these cycles?” she asks and answers…
Throughout the stories of Exodus that re revisit again and again and in this week’s parashah, we find a sacred call to answer, says Rabbi Samantha Natov. “What are we being called to do? Who needs our help? What internal spark are we ignoring?” Each of us must interpret God’s call — and determine our response…
“In many ways it is still October 7th. Time froze,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, offering his perspective of where we are five months later, on the Shabbat before embarking for Israel with our synagogue’s mission. “The road ahead will be difficult and painful… my message to you is: keep the faith.”
“We as a community royally screwed up” when we built the golden calf, says Rabbi Dalia Samansky. “But it is what happens in this week’s portion that shows how we as a people grew from our experience. Mistakes and bad decisions happen. It’s how we respond, learn and grow after them that reveals our true character.”
