By Rabbi Haviva Horvitz, Temple Beth Sholom, Middletown Give me a topic and ask me to write an article or teach a course, and I will have no trouble. I enjoy doing the research and will happily share what I have learned and add my own thoughts and opinions. However,

By Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz, Temple Israel The Hebrew month of Elul is dedicated to spiritual renewal and preparations for the High Holidays. During this month, as well as in Tishri, we are encouraged to recalibrate our souls, engage thoughtfully in the work of teshuva (returning), and redirect our life choices

An open letter to a bar/bat mitzvah student By Rabbi Cary Kozberg, Temple Sholom, Springfield First of all, mazel tov on your upcoming big day! As you approach becoming a full-fledged member of the Jewish community, we hope that in addition to enjoying the celebration, that you also understand and

By Rabbi Levi Simon Chabad of Greater Dayton On Shavuot, this year on May 25-27, Jews around the world commemorate the monumental event of the Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. However, the significance of this event reaches far beyond the past; it is an experience that is relived

By Rabbi Aubrey L. Glazer, Beth Abraham Synagogue “I cry, cry, cry Cry all day I cry all night I cry all day” — Cry all day (Schmilco, 2016) “…crying before compiling a holy book as insights into Torah are rivers & first one has to make rivers of tears”

“Long live Europe, Am Yisrael Chai,” exclaimed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as she received an honorary doctorate from Ben-Gurion University last year. Her words were quickly decried on Twitter as imperialistic “racist Nazi slogans.” In 2015, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s current national security minister, was arrested on the

By Rabbi Nochum Mangel Chabad of Greater Dayton An old Jewish joke describes all Jewish holidays in a few words: “They tried to kill us. They failed. Let’s eat.” Just as our enemies were not the same, the way they tried to kill us was different as well. Our enemies

By Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin, Chabad of Greater Dayton Servants of time are slaves of slaves, The servant of God alone is free, Therefore, when each man makes his choice, My soul says, ‘I choose God for me.’ This short poem, written by Yehuda HaLevi near a millennium ago, is about

Surprising spiritual advice from Lou Reed’s American-Jewish songbook By Rabbi Aubrey L. Glazer, Beth Abraham Synagogue “You can’t depend on your family you can’t depend on your friends You can’t depend on a beginning you can’t depend on an end” — Lou Reed, Busload of Faith (New York, 1989) Life

By Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz, Temple Israel As we move through the High Holy Days, we approach Yom Kippur with a sense of dread. We anticipate feelings of guilt and regret, in addition to hunger, because we know the time is upon us to look critically at ourselves. The task is