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Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

01/30/2025 05:27:36 PM

Jan30

One of the hardest things about hospitality-- particularly with Jews-- is getting an accurate guest list. We experience it at the synagogue. When we host a dinner or event, we usually have to commit to a food order for a dinner or event by a certain date. Then, right before the event, (several days after our order...Read more...

Out of the Frying Pan

01/23/2025 04:36:59 PM

Jan23

How are things going? Hard to say. In Israel, the first 3 Jewish hostages are home, with 30 more to follow, but so are hundreds of terrorists who had been jailed for murdering innocent Israelis. With a ceasefire, Israeli troops are a bit less in harm’s way, but will they be in greater danger from a reconstituted Hamas? For decades pundits will debate whether the deal was worth it (see my take from...Read more...

Fast into Shabbat

01/09/2025 06:52:20 PM

Jan9

The Jewish calendar is adjusted, with leap years and extra days, so that it is almost impossible for a fast day to fall on Friday and extended into Shabbat. Yom Kippur is the only fast that can fall directly on Shabbat,  but it cannot fall on a Friday or Sunday. Almost all other fast days are pushed off if they fall on Shabbat, and cannot fall on Friday either! Tzom Gedaliah, which falls on the same day of the week, a week...Read more...

Eating with the Hebrews or the Egyptians

01/02/2025 04:34:58 PM

Jan2

Was Joseph ever truly accepted in Egypt, despite saving the entire country? As we read the Torah portion this week, Joseph explicitly expresses concern that his family would not fit in in Egypt. He gives his brothers specific instructions as to what to say and how to describe themselves. It would seem that his concerns are overwrought. When Joseph reveals that the 11 visitors are in fact his family, Pharaoh and his courtiers are...Read more...

Hanukkah

12/25/2024 12:04:10 AM

Dec25

Over 2,000 years ago, the Syrian Greeks desecrated the holy Temple and attempted to wipe out Jewish practice and observance. The Maccabees soon rose up to fight their oppressors, and after years of fighting they rededicated the Temple on the 25th of Kislev. Every Jewish child is familiar with the story that Judah and his brothers lit the menorah even though there was not enough holy oil, but miraculously a small amount lasted for eight...Read more...

Jacob Left

11/26/2024 01:10:32 PM

Nov26

Our sages frequently seize onto what are seemingly the most minor textual points to make profound observations about life. Our Torah portion, Vayeitzei, begins with a simple sentence: Jacob left Be’er Sheva and went to Haran. The commentators immediately jump to ask-- why does the text need to mention Jacob’s point of origin as well? The destination is the important information. 

There are times when...Read more...

Thanksgiving: Breaking Bread without Breaking Ties

11/26/2024 01:09:56 PM

Nov26

This weekend we mark the confluence of Parashat Toldot and Thanksgiving. There is actually a thread of connection between the Torah portion and the festival on the secular calendar.  For many of us, Thanksgiving is about gathering with family or friends for a festive meal. In the portion this week, we see two times where shared food is entangled with complex family dynamics. First, Esau...Read more...

A Familiar Family Divide

11/07/2024 05:19:25 PM

Nov7

In the last 36 hours I’ve heard from many friends, in our community and beyond. Some are experiencing existential fear. Common themes that they express  include concern that causes, legal protections and fundamental values that matter to them will fall under attack; that they, or those they love, will be...Read more...

Halloween?

10/31/2024 04:26:21 PM

Oct31

I have mixed feelings the ways in which many American Jews have adopted, and even embraced Halloween. Its original roots are at odds with our tradition. It is a mix of Christian and pagan practices, with a healthy sprinkling of American commercialism. In Catholicism, November 1 was “All Saint’s Day” and vigils for the dead would be held the night before. Meanwhile, the same night was observed in Celtic culture as a...Read more...

"You Shall Be the Head, and Not the Tail"

09/19/2024 01:42:21 PM

Sep19

Despite the tumultuous events of the week and the solemn themes of the High Holidays approaching in less than two weeks, I feel the need to turn inward and reflect on a challenge faced by our community. Each week, we are blessed to enjoy a kiddush meal together, often sponsored by a family celebrating a simcha. Lately, I have noticed a trend in how we relate to kiddush that gives me pause. Often, while the service is still going on in the...Read more...

Between Blood and Blood, Justice and Justice, Wound and Wound

09/05/2024 04:12:48 PM

Sep5

The pall that has hung over our people for the last 11 months grew far darker this week, with the news that Hamas executed six more Israeli hostages. Because each human being is of infinite value, we cannot wrap our heads around its enormity.  The murder of just one individual, a face and name that we know, brings the loss into focus. Earlier this week, we marked this loss as it was reflected in the landscape of our own...Read more...

An Empty Chair that Will not be Filled

09/01/2024 11:32:48 PM

Sep1

Updated with working link:  https://www.youtube.com/live/j1i2FuqiqXQ

Saturday night we learned that the empty chair in our sanctuary will never be filled by the person we have held it for. We received the devastating news that six more Israeli hostages had been recovered in Gaza, recently murdered: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Ori Danino. The Talmud teaches us that God...Read more...

False Prophets, 9 Years Later

08/29/2024 04:06:30 PM

Aug29

Shabbat Shalom Re'eh

Earlier this week, I read a report which is unsettling, but not remarkable. There are few reliable sources of information as to what is going on in Palestinian areas. One that I sometimes consider is the Palestinian Survey Research Institute (PSR), which attempts to be neutral. This week the IDF raided a Hamas facility and uncovered evidence that...Read more...

Double Duty

08/01/2024 01:52:23 PM

Aug1

Parashat Mattot (the first half of this week’s double portion) takes up the action as the Israelites, after almost 40 years in the desert, are just weeks from entering the Promised Land, and taking on a process of conquest that would span another seven years. It records an uncomfortable exchange between Moses and the tribes of Reuven and Gad. These tribes wanted to settle on the land that they had already conquered, rather than...Read more...

The Daughters of Tzelophehad were Right

07/25/2024 01:21:00 PM

Jul25

This week’s portion includes two very different models of advocacy. Pinhas, the grandson of Aaron, sees people violating the Torah in an egregious way, and takes the law into his own hands with murderous violence. God ultimately approves of his actions, offering him a blessing of peace and a permanent legacy of the priesthood. The sages are less positive- they note that if he had asked for permission, it would have been denied,...Read more...

Pardon the Interruption

07/11/2024 04:57:47 PM

Jul11

“Sit, Sit, I’m just changing the towels!” In the 1960’s, when my father of blessed memory was in rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary, the students (all male, and mostly unmarried) lived in a dormitory, where there was maid service. One of the maids was famous for bursting in on the students to clean the bathrooms while students were using them, and, if they protested, would...Read more...

It is Now Safe to Move about the Desert

06/20/2024 03:36:29 PM

Jun20

If you are a frequent airline traveler, you know that at many times during a commercial airline flight you will hear one or more “dings.” Certain sequences may indicate that the cabin door has been closed or is ready to open, that the seatbelt sign has been turned on or off, that the plane is at a particular stage of its  takeoff or approach, that one member of the crew is paging another, or that someone in seat 25f keeps on...Read more...

How Our Individuality Builds Community

06/05/2024 03:19:18 PM

Jun5

Welcome guest writer Valerie Chambers, B'nai Torah's Director of Community Connections.

As the Director of Community Connections, my goal is to work with each of y’all individually to build a greater community. Some of you have already received an email or a phone call from me...Read more...

What Does Peace Mean?

05/30/2024 12:57:47 PM

May30

Parashat Behukotai stands out as one of two Torah portions that contain significant passages of blessings and curses. The blessings of Levticus 26, offered as a promise provided the Israelites follow the right path, are beautiful and inspiring, but follow an odd structure. The blessings begin and end with agricultural success, plenty so great that there will be too much to store , let alone eat.  The middle blessings focus on war and...Read more...

In Between Times

05/16/2024 03:56:31 PM

May16

When does the day begin and end? On the Jewish calendar, a new date begins with the evening, and so, with the setting of the sun we embark on a new day. However, this is by no means an obvious answer. Of course, in our modern world, the answer is assumed to be midnight. In some ways, this makes things very easy. Very little is going on in the middle of the night. Most people (I’m told) are asleep at that time, so it's easy to make...Read more...

Fearing Mothers, Honoring Fathers?

05/09/2024 02:47:19 PM

May9

Even as we observe Mother’s Day this Sunday, Judaism asks us to celebrate our parents every single day. The Ten Commandments, found in Exodus and Deuteronomy, demand “honor your father and your mother.” Then, in the portion that we read this week, Kedoshim, a key verse (Leviticus 19:3) also reflects our...Read more...

After the Dancing

04/25/2024 12:08:27 PM

Apr25

As the father of two college students, perhaps I could have been accused of being oversensitive to the climate on American college campuses over these past few months. At this point, the situation on many campuses has reached a point where it is of concern just to those communities, but to society as a whole. Shortly before Passover, one of the rabbis at Columbia University urged his students to go home because the university was either...Read more...

A Shabbat of Greatness

04/18/2024 05:35:38 PM

Apr18

The Shabbat before Passover is always called “Shabbat Hagadol,” literally “the Great Sabbath.” However, as any grammatical pedant will tell you, this does not make sense, because in the gendered Hebrew language, Shabbat is feminine, and Hagadol is masculine. Scholars throughout the generations have posited different reasons that the Shabbat might be great, some of which resolve the grammatical discrepancy. There are many...Read more...

Standing with Israel Before Passover

04/14/2024 05:08:11 PM

Apr14

For the second time in seven months, a Shabbat of peace was jarred by terrifying news from Israel. Hundreds of drones and missiles were on their way from Iran. On October 7, help did not come for many until far too late. This time the outcome was different. Israel’s forces were ready,...Read more...

Eternal Flame

03/28/2024 01:31:48 AM

Mar28

There really is no rest after Purim. Just as soon as we have loaded up on gifts of junk food and consumed wine without measure, we put away the Megillah, and change gears to start clearing the pantry and preparing to drink precisely four cups of wine at seder. Of course, Kroger has had the matzah out since shortly after Hanukkah! This Shabbat, Parashat Parah, is one of three out of the next four weeks where there is a special Torah...Read more...

Why Fast Before Purim

03/21/2024 02:32:23 PM

Mar21

This Shabbat is Shabbat Zachor, as we begin observing Purim on Saturday night. As I write, today is a fast day, Ta’anit Esther, which normally precedes Purim. However, its purpose and schedule are both doubly odd this year. The fast is traditionally observed on the day immediately before Purim, but in years like this when Purim starts Saturday night, the fast is adjusted to avoid fasting on Shabbat or even leading into it. ...Read more...

Meet the New Betzalels

03/07/2024 03:39:15 PM

Mar7

The process of finding community leadership has never been easy. Who has the charisma? The time and temperament? Where would one even learn the technical skills needed to focus the energies of a diverse and sometimes querulous community? This week, we explore those challenges both in the portions that we read from Exodus and in real life. Parashat Vayakhel reflects the consummation of the previous 10 chapters of the Torah....Read more...

Keeping a Covenant: Disability Inclusion and the Terumah

02/13/2024 10:52:27 AM

Feb13

Welcoming special guest Paige Rohe, in observance of Jewish Disabilites Awareness Acceptance and Inclusion Month.

 

Recently, my family worked with experts...Read more...

18 Weeks on the Way to 40?

02/08/2024 06:40:59 PM

Feb8

As I write, I am still digesting the intensity of the my week in Israel. I would have imagined using every opportunity this weekend to share my experiences. Indeed, this Shabbat morning, I will be reflecting on my journey. Then, on Sunday February 18th at 3:30PM at Or Hadash, I will be part of a forum where rabbis who participated in the trip will engage in dialogue with members of the entire community.  We are also working to...Read more...

Day 5, What I learned from Yitzhar and Yitzhar

02/01/2024 06:06:21 PM

Feb1

Day 5 A tale of two Yitzhars.

Today we had a chance to focus on the painful present, but also think about the future.

We spent time at Mount Herzl, Israel’s main military cemetery.  Our original intent was to visit the graves of two fallen soldiers who had made an impact on our community, and honor their memories. One was Rose Lubin, H”YD, who grew up in Atlanta and made Aliyah as a lone soldier.  Yesterday I...Read more...

Day 4- A Story of Shoes, as Told to Yitro

01/31/2024 05:44:06 PM

Jan31

This week, as I find myself in the midst of an intense mission to Israel with 20+ other rabbis and community leaders, the Torah portion, Yitro, has offered me some wisdom that helps me put these experiences into context. We read that Yitro, in his dwelling-place of Midian heard (“Vayishma Yitro”) everything that happened to Moses and the Israelites. He went to meet them. When Moses told him everything that happened, Yitro had an...Read more...

Day 3: A Helping of Helping

01/30/2024 06:25:39 PM

Jan30

Today’s part of the #Atlantaprofessionaljourney was a day of listening, with a healthy helping of helping. We spent much of the day in the Yokenam Megiddo area. They are Atlanta’s Jewish federation partners with this region. We met the mayor and other local leaders, and learned about the struggles to get bomb shelters, especially those in older buildings inhabited by economically disadvantaged residents, back into usable condition,...Read more...

Day 2: Resilience, Poetry, and German Engineering

01/29/2024 05:47:28 PM

Jan29

(for pictures see my Facebook feed here)
Today was an intense first day on the ground in Israel, as we came to appreciate the impact of October 7th on Israeli society, a story of deep pain and remarkable resilience. One major focus was on the hostages and their families. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has taken over a six story building, and involved dozens of professionals and volunteers to advocate in the media, the...Read more...

Day 1, A Bittersweet Homecoming

01/28/2024 05:45:16 PM

Jan28

I’ve gone much longer between trips to Israel, but the last 113 days have made it seem much longer. Bittersweet and proud to be here with the Atlanta Rabbi and organizational leaders mission.

Read more...

Hard of Hearing, Hard of Speaking

01/11/2024 03:40:34 PM

Jan11

As any 6th grade teacher will tell you, it can be very frustrating to try to communicate when people are just not listening. You may be having a parallel but even more stressful experience, talking about the situation in Israel/Gaza or our experiences of antisemitism, with people who are either uninformed and uninterested or even actively antagonistic. In our portion this week, Moses finds that not...Read more...

Make a Holy Visit

12/28/2023 11:11:27 AM

Dec28

Within our congregation, our Kesher Committee makes such a difference, as groups of volunteers do things reaching out to those facing illness, helping families prepare for shiva after a loss. As our synagogue continues to grow, we are seeking additional volunteers to help fulfill these Mitzvot. To volunteer, you can reach out to Rashelle Berry, rashelle.berry@gmail.com. To understand just how important these Mitzvot are, we need...Read more...

Who Speaks for Dinah?

11/30/2023 05:40:30 PM

Nov30

This week we read one of the most violent stories in the Bible, one often skipped in Hebrew School. Jacob’s daughter, Dina goes into the town of Shechem, where the local prince rapes her. One voice is missing from the story. The Torah does not share anything of Dina’s perspective or experience. Though modern writers, like Anita Diamant, apply their creativity to fill in the gaps, she is an object, not a subject in the story....Read more...

Thanksgiving and an Empty Chair?

11/22/2023 01:46:54 PM

Nov22

This Thanksgiving Shabbat, there will be an open seat in our B'nai Torah sanctuary. Since shortly after October 7th, we have had seats reserved in our sanctuary for two young Israelis believed held captive in Gaza, Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Shani Gabay.  The open seats were signs of concern and solidarity, and hope that those seats would be filled with their return. We were one of dozens of ConservaReserved seatsRead more...

A Passing of Generations

11/16/2023 02:44:57 PM

Nov16

Sorry for the broken link- Shabbat Shalom for Thanksgiving weekend is at https://www.bnaitorah.org/rabbi-heller-blog?post_id=1478887

 

Eleh Toldot Yitzchak Ben Avraham- Avraham Holid et Yitzchak. “These are the generations of Isaac. Abraham begat Isaac.” The words that begin our portion this week resonate for me in a deep way at this moment. The portion tells us that Isaac’s journey to parenthood can only be...Read more...

Alumni

10/31/2023 02:36:08 PM

Oct31

As often as I can, I will work into my sermons that I'm a Harvard alum. Now I have a child who attends as well. Following the horrific events of October 7, my alma mater was the one of the first points of focus for concern about anti-Israel and anti-semitic activity on US campuses. I share my own journey in case it...Read more...

A Captive Audience

10/26/2023 10:48:02 AM

Oct26

The Shabbat of October 27-28, Conservative synagogues around the world are observing Solidarity Shabbat in support of our brethren in Israel.  Please wear blue and white to services, and see https://www.masortisolidarityshabbat.org/  for more resources.

I’ve gotten requests for my sermon from last shabbat.  You can find it (and other sermons) at https://www.bnaitorah.org/sermons      ...Read more...

Kindness on the Ark

10/19/2023 04:28:39 PM

Oct19

This week we continue to be overloaded with challenging news, and there is almost too much to say. At B’nai Torah, we are doing our best to keep sharing information without duplicating what is being shared elsewhere. In addition to the Shabbat live stream, we have posted selected sermons at https://www.bnaitorah.org/sermons, and my sermon for this coming Shabbat will be posted there late Saturday night. As many of my colleagues have...Read more...

We Stand with Israel

10/09/2023 08:54:07 PM

Oct9

Dear Friends,

We are still reeling from the news of Shabbat morning, that Hamas terrorists swept across the Gaza border, killing hundreds of Israelis, wounding and maiming thousands, and taking an as-yet unknown number captive, to be subjected to brutality that we cannot conceive. There is much that is still unsure, but we know that we stand with Israel.

On Saturday morning, as we prepared for the Shemini Atzeret...Read more...

Saving the Best for Last

10/05/2023 03:54:20 PM

Oct5

I’m a last-minute kind of person, which is why I appreciate the holidays of Hoshana Raba (Friday) Shemini Atzeret (Saturday) and Simchat Torah (Sunday). Each of them has a distinct flavor, with opportunities for repentance, spiritual growth, and joy, but all of them represent a different aspect of the closing of a season.

Hoshana Raba is the last day of Sukkot, the last opportunity to shake lulav or sit in a...Read more...

Dry and Wet

09/21/2023 03:56:38 PM

Sep21

This week we read as our Torah portion Ha’azinu, Moses’ second to last discourse to the Jewish people. In this poem, Moses returns several times to very distinctive imagery to describe God, calling God a “Tzur,” a rock. The metaphor implies constancy and security. God is eternal, like the very bedrock, and the ultimate source of protection, impregnable as a rock fortress. However rock is also unyielding, and Moses...Read more...

Wet and Dry

09/07/2023 05:26:50 PM

Sep7

This week we read parashat Nitzavim, in which Moses gathers the entire nation to warn them of the potential consequences of their actions, positive and negative. One of his more colorful turns of his phrase is that people will think in their hearts “I will be safe following my heart’s urges”, but this will lead to something terrible. In Hebrew, the phrase is “Lema’an sfot haravah et hatzmeah” which could be read to mean,...Read more...

Bird Brains?

08/24/2023 04:17:01 PM

Aug24

Ki Teitzei, our portion this week, includes more mitzvot than any other. One of my favorites is the commandment of “shiluah haken.” When you find a bird’s nest and you take the eggs or fledglings, you must send away the mother bird, and if you do, you will be rewarded with a long life. This is one of the few commandments where a specific reward is offered for its observance. Today we are more likely to get our eggs...Read more...

At the Gates

08/17/2023 03:44:27 PM

Aug17

This week, we begin the Hebrew month of Elul, and the season of repentance. We also read a Torah portion, Shoftim, which describes in depth the organizational structure that the Jewish people are to set for themselves in the promised land. King, prophets, priests, generals, elders, judges and officers each have their role in ensuring an orderly civil society. 

The portion begins by commanding that judges and officers...Read more...

Tisha B'av and Nachamu

07/27/2023 12:39:27 PM

Jul27

With greetings from Sabbatical: I am grateful for the opportunity to spend six weeks taking a break from communal life. At the midway point, I’ve spent time at Camp Ramah and in travel, and made progress on several study projects. It has been restorative to redirect my focus, which means putting much of the “tzuris” of the world (starting with my email) on mute.  However, the news from Israel this week cannot be...Read more...

Pinchas- Taking a Break from the "Ands."

07/06/2023 02:14:20 AM

Jul6

This weeks’ Torah portion includes a broken letter- the only time that this is permitted in a Torah scroll. There is an ancient tradition (dating back to the Talmud) that the word Shalom (“peace”) must be written with a gap, a break, in the letter vav. This is surprising because normally, even a single broken letter, out of hundreds of thousands, would invalidate an entire scroll. Indeed, in one of our scrolls, an inexpert scribe...Read more...

Sat, February 8 2025 10 Shevat 5785