Words That Sting; Creeks That Rise
My mother often used the expression, “God willing and the creek don’t rise.” It was simple and effective. It acknowledged …
Category Archives: Yom Kippur
It’s Here & I Am Completely Unprepared
Thursday evening, I ate meatloaf. Friday morning, I woke up feeling queasy. Within moments, I was horribly sick to my …
Holidays and Holy Days
Rabbi Elliot Dorff makes an important distinction between holidays and holy days. Holidays are meant for fun, celebration, relaxation, travel. …
The Poetry of Tears
When I first became a rabbi I was taken aback by people who cried during services. I didn’t know what …
Still Here
This week’s Torah portion tells of the biblical High Priest and the ritual he performed on Yom Kippur. It included …
Open the Door to Transcendence
Today is Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat of Return, immediately before Yom Kippur. But what does it mean for a person …
The Day of Atoning
To my friends and readers who are not Jewish: Today’s post is a call from my heart to both myself …
The Power of Poetry
When I was young I dreamt of being a famous poet and winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, and maybe …
The Tree — A Kol Nidre Sermon
Every week, as I lead services here at Kol HaNeshama I stand with my back to an enormous, beautiful tree. …
Our Prayers Rise to Heaven — Kol Nidre
At sunset tomorrow evening, September 29th, we will welcome both Shabbat and Yom Kippur, which will begin with the Kol …
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