PESACH, Day 1: QUOTES about SLAVERY and FREEDOM (A community discussion led by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on April 6, 2023)  [NOTE: We took time together to ponder quotes about slavery and freedom to better think through all the ways that both are experienced in the world–physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Today we’ll focus on page 1 […]

Parashat T’tzaveh: Remember to Forget (delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on March 3, 2023)   Psychologists, neurologists, and cyberneticians all study memory and forgetfulness. They seek to learn and explain the “how” of these processes–the dynamics. But these processes constitute the substance of spiritual life. We are more familiar with mitzvot about remembering. For example, […]

Parashat B’Shalach: Three Mornings (delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on February 4, 2023)  Boker tov! In stressful times, in desperate times, it is natural for people to yearn for a better day. The kind of future that one projects depends, at least to some extent, upon the age, background, and character of each individual. A […]

Striking the Egyptians: The Incomplete Redemption (delivered by Rabbi J.B. on January 21, 2023) Every year at the Passover seder everyone dips a finger in their cup of wine and spills one drop for each of the ten plagues. Why do we spill wine at the mentioning of plagues? Today the reason usually given is […]

JEWISH QUOTES TO PONDER AS WE BEGIN A NEW YEAR–PART 2 (A community study period led by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on January 7, 2023) At our first Shabbat services after Yom Kippur Wednesday and before Sukkot began, we took time together to ponder various quotes that could help us to set the tone for the […]

Parashat Vay’chi: The Problem of White Lies (delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on January 6, 2023) For me, among the more amusing commercials running on television are those by GEICO. Do you know them? One series of ads began with the question, “Would switching to GEICO save you money on car insurance?” My favorite in […]

Parashat Vayeshev: The Bullies Among Us (delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on December 16, 2022) Tears can be good or bad. The worst tears of all accompany a child’s death. In this week’s portion, Vayeshev, Jacob experiences such tears when his older sons bring him the blood-soaked “coat of many colors,” which Jacob personally made […]

Parashat Chayyei Sarah: All Years Are Equal (Torah study led by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on November 19, 2022)   We do not have a lot of time, but it’s important for us to share words of Torah. So let me speak briefly on today’s Torah reading. The first verse we read today, Genesis 23:1, is […]

Parshat Chayei Sarah: “Bring Your Days with You” (delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on November 18, 2022)  Old age takes away from us what we have inherited and gives us what we have earned.[1] Let me repeat these important words from Gerald Brenan. Old age takes away from us what we have inherited and gives […]

Parashat Lech L’cha: Lot’s Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’ (delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on November 4, 2022) I remember the thrill of seeing Porgy and Bess for the first time. It was a 1935 English-language tragic opera by George Gershwin.[1] It features a cast of classically trained African-American singers, a daring artistic choice at the […]