ELUL THOUGHTS | 14 - 20 ELUL
09/12/2025 11:57:28 AM
14 Elul 5785 | September 7, 2025
Raymond Zachary
The Jewish principle of Makhloket l'shem Shamayim—argument for the sake of Heaven—teaches that not all conflict is destructive. When motivated by truth, humility, and a desire to serve something beyond the self, disagreement can be sacred. This idea offers a striking lens through which to consider the High Holy Days and the existential tension: Do the means justify the...Read more...
ELUL THOUGHTS | 7 - 13 ELUL
09/05/2025 10:35:12 AM
7 Elul 5785 | August 31, 2025
Rabbi Stephen Wise
This summer at Camp George I ran a program with my fellow faculty members with 11 and 12-year-olds about productive arguments. We use as the basis for our program the arguments of Hillel and Shamai, the most well known commentators in the Talmud who constantly disagreed. The lesson was that while they might have not been able to agree on Jewish law, the Talmud records both...Read more...
ELUL THOUGHTS | 1-6 ELUL
08/29/2025 09:03:11 AM
The Hebrew month of Elul is the last month of the Jewish year. As such, it is considered a month of spiritual preparation for the High Holy Days. Special meditations are added to the daily service for some, known as S’lichot, or penitential prayers. (*The Saturday before Rosh Hashanah is also known as S’lichot, and it is used as a night of contemplation and study.) For several years, a group of Reform clergy and educators has collaborated...Read more...
TEMPLE TALK | HIGH HOLIDAYS 2025
08/28/2025 08:16:11 AM
To my Temple Israel Friends,
As we approach the High Holy Days, a time of reflection, renewal, and return, our clergy are asking an important question: How do we challenge ourselves in a time that is already so challenging? In many ways, this question has guided much of my own journey as your Board President over the past year.
Like many of you, I have faced moments that tested my resolve—some operational, some financial,...Read more...
TeMPLE TALK | HIGH HOLIDAYS 2025
08/26/2025 09:38:05 AM
L’Shanah Tovah Temple Israel,
At this time every year, as we find ourselves on the precipice of a new year with all the anticipation and hoping and dreaming that comes with it, we are grateful to take a moment to reflect on our past year together, as a Temple Israel community.
The new year brings with it an opportunity for each of us – as individuals, as families, as members of this sacred community – to reflect on the...Read more...