March 09th, 2026

February 4th, 2026 


This past Monday we celebrated Tu B’shevat, the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat celebrating the birthday of the trees, which is one of the four new years listed in the Babylonian Talmud. Even though it certainly doesn’t feel or look like it outside, this holiday reminds us of our connection to the earth and gives us hope in renewal, and the knowledge that spring will eventually arrive! Tu B’shevat has also become a holiday that reminds us of the human responsibility to care for trees and all of nature, knowing that the time is now to plant those seeds, tending them to help grow and secure our future. 

It is my pleasure to announce that Temple Israel will be participating in this mitzvah of caring for our earth, “shomrei adamah” spearheaded by our Religious School Administrator Kenny Acker who will be leading the initiative of composting our food remains at our Religious school with the hope that this practice will continue to occur at all our programs. Our children and teens will learn by doing, and set the example for us! 

And until we see that first bud on the tree, I hope these words from Katherine May from her book WINTERING will help us get through this challenging time, when our country, world and planet needs so much healing and renewal. 
“Plants and animals don’t fight the winter. They don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get them through. Wintering is a time of withdrawing from the world, maximizing scant resources , carrying out acts of brutal efficiency and vanishing from sight, but that is where the transformation occurs. Winter is not the death of the life cycle but its crucible.” 

​Rabbi Abigail Treu teaches that even though right now everything seems to be dormant, frozen and not flourishing or growing with us--this is only our perspective and not the truth, because there is an invisible energy and growth that is happening deep down in those roots which will flourish and blossom in the spring. 
We will act now by composting, and soon enough the winter’s transformation into spring will lead us outdoors thanking the Divine for our tree of life!  
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February 11th, 2026

​This past Shabbat I was honored to take six of our Temple Israel teenagers to Washington D.C. to participate in The Bernard and Audre Rapoport L'Taken Social Justice Seminar, designed to both expose teens to a variety of public policy issues and explore the Jewish values that inform the Reform Movement's advocacy around these issues.  Here is some of the feedback I received from my students. “This was the most meaningful experience I have ever had. The opportunity to be a part of something and make a real change and difference in the world inspired me greatly.”  “This trip has been life changing, being able to meet kids my age who are all interested in saving the world like me has been amazing.” “L’taken is genuinely the best Jewish experience I have ever participated in. Every moment was packed with so much knowledge and so much fun. I have learned about our world, faith, the people I shared the experience with, and even myself.” 

​L'Taken means "to repair" and in partnership with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC), these students were able to make an impact to help repair our country by meeting with members of Congress lobbying on bills related to Immigration and Antisemitism. After spending Shabbat learning Torah and singing joyfully our Shabbat prayers in community with over 350 teenagers from all over the country, we spent our free time visiting the African American History Museum and the Holocaust museum. One of the highlights was celebrating the end of Shabbat with the havdallah service at the Jefferson Memorial, lighting up the night not only with candles but with the light of doing mitzvot and pursuing justice as Jewish teens all over the country bonded together in the name of Tikkun Olam.    

​This coming Shabbat is known as “Shabbat Zachor” the shabbat of remembrance which is observed the Shabbat immediately preceding Purim. By reading a special part of the Torah, we are commanded to remember the attack by Amelak on the Israelites after the Exodus from Egypt and to “blot out the memory of Amelek” just as we will boo and blot out the name of Haman on Purim, linking the historical Amalekites to Haman who we know as the villain in our Purim story.  Another way that we can ensure that good will always triumph over evil is fulfilling the commandment  of Tzedek, tzedek tirdof, justice, justice you shall pursue (Deuteronomy 16:20) just as our teenagers did last Shabbat.  Please join us for this Shabbat Zachor as we remember and then immediately rejoice in our Purim celebration on Monday night March 2nd 5:30pm for our Purimshpiel, megillah reading, and a festive oneg. Prizes for best costume and Hamantaschen for all! 

​ Shabbat Shalom and Hag Purim Sameah! 

February 18th, 2026 

I am so grateful for the wisdom of our Jewish tradition, especially for the many minhagim (the traditions) that tether me to my past as I cultivate a vibrant Jewish future. I am thankful for the continuing dialogue I have between the letter and the spirit of the law that guides me on almost every decision I make in my professional and personal life. As I open the treasure chest filled with Jewish laws and traditions, it almost feels like a gift, especially at moments when we find ourselves in despair and worry after reading the latest news headlines, or in pain when dealing with our collective and personal loss and grief—it is in these moments that I am most attached and most grateful for Jewish practice. 

After all, today marks the new Jewish month of Adar, a month that according to the Talmud teaches us that, “When Adar enters, joy increases!” This is a reflection on the month's connection to happiness and miracles for the Jewish people that sets the spiritual tone for the holiday of Purim which emphasizes joy, gratitude and the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. In fact, the Hebrew word Adar has the same roots as the word Adir, meaning strength or power, symbolizing the inner strength required to embrace joy even in uncertain times. I would say, as much as the Jews of Shushan were faced with antisemitism and uncertainty, we too are certainly living in very unsettling and troubling times.
But here is where the beauty of our tradition comes into play. Even if we are steeped in sorrow, our tradition says– pause your pain, if only for a moment. This happens, for example in the pausing of sitting shiva when Shabbat or a festival falls during the seven days. Our pain doesn’t dissipate even though our practice of normalcy and finding joy continues. 
Rabbi Jill Hammer writes that “The message of Adar is not to cover up our true feelings with forced merriment but to recognize the double edge that lies under all reality. Our lives flow through both good and bad times. The key to Adar is to know that and still to believe happiness is possible. In Adar, joy is a mask we put on to conceal pain, yet we also know the joy is real.”
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Adar invites us to put on that mask as we find inner joy, engage in acts of loving kindness and show up for each other in community~ And we invite you to do just that! Please join us in your favorite mask or costume as we celebrate Purim together on Monday March 2nd at 5:30! RSVP here (add link) You will not want to miss our Purimshpiel, ESTIE! Starring talented Temple Israel adults and HAVA NASHIRA followed by a community Megillah reading where we will blot out and boo the name of HAMAN! Followed by a festive freilach oneg! 
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This is our Adar practice, to show up in joy, in triumph, in hope.
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