Re’eh
Re’eh exhorts us to clearly see the choices that are laid out before us and to choose the way of blessing. We are commanded to see because without clear vision we may not be able to distinguish between blessing and curse.
Axelrad, Rabbi Rachel (AJRCA 2020)
Rabbi Rachel Axelrad was ordained at AJRCA in 2020. She joined Desert Outreach Synagogue (DOS) as Associate Rabbi in 2021, working with her close friend and colleague, Rabbi Dr. Jules King (AJRCA 2018) where she provides adult Jewish education, leads Shabbat services, and manages pastoral care and crises in Rabbi King’s absence.
Teshuvah in a Plague
You must search and search until you find some good point within you to give you new life and happiness. When you discover the good that is still inside you, you literally swing the scales from guilt to merit…
Vaetchanan Deuteronomy 4:2
This verse expresses a fundamental axiom about the measure of our dedication to God, as told by the prophet Samuel, “listening to God is better than making sacrifices to Him.”
Parashat Eikev: 5 Voices
Please follow the link below to read 5 different commentaries on this week’s parashah by Rabbi Eva Robbins, Rabbi Gershon Schusterman, Rabbi Chaim Tureff, Aliza Lipkin, and Miriam Yerushalmi
My Last Cup of Coffee with A. B. Yehoshua
In January 2020 BC (before COVID) Rabbi Bouskila last met with Israeli author A. B. Yehoshua before his passing on June 14. Rabbi Bouskila recounts his history with the author, including discussions on the two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, or the Israel-Diaspora divide.
Consolation, Not Closure
This Shabbat is the second Shabbat of consolation, following Tisha B’Av. We chant from Isaiah 49:14-51:3, wherein the prophet addresses the mourning for the destruction of Zion and concludes with hope for divine comfort.
Getting Ready for the High Holidays
Hazzan Daniel Friedman & Cantor Jacqueline Rafii recorded a beautiful rendition of the Chassidic Kaddish
A New Pedagogy for Teaching Torah Trope Utilizing Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theories
In The Jewish Educator, Hazzan Daniel Friedman published the article “A New Pedagogy for Teaching Torah Trope Utilizing Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theories: Introduction to a Torah Trope Curriculum for Ages 2 to 92”. In this article he asks the question: “How can I engage students of trope beyond the traditional years prior to their Bar/Bat Mitzvah or as an adjunct to an adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah course?
Seekers of Truth Among the Ruins—Thoughts for the 9th of Av By Rabbi Mordecai Finley
Well-being is within our reach, although many us of may feel unfulfilled or alone. The need to inflict misery is in our nature, yet we can learn from our teachings. We study the narratives of the Golden Calf and the Sin of the Spies to remind ourselves of our moral transgressions. However, sin also includes acting against our authentic nature.