![]() By Rabbi Ari SunshineLast week I returned from three whirlwind days in Washington, D.C., at AIPAC’s 2018 Policy Conference. For those who have not been to PC (shorthand lingo for “Policy Conference”!) previously, it may be hard to picture the buzz and excitement that comes with attending a conference of 18,000 pro-Israel activists from across America.
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![]() On Monday, Rabbi Roffman and I had the great privilege of addressing the middle school students at Levine Academy as part of their exploration of Jewish values and sexuality. This is the second year running that we’ve led conversations about what Judaism tells us about how to approach our relationships with other people—whether romantic or platonic—and how we regard the holiness of each person. ![]() By Rabbi Ari Sunshine Afternoon, or night? I write these words with my body not really knowing exactly what time it is, having just returned yesterday from eight days in Israel participating in our Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas’ Chai Mission. This was a wonderful—and whirlwind—trip around Israel, for more than 70 travelers, a group that bonded together nicely. About half of the group had never been to Israel before, and another large portion of the group had not been there in many years. In just over a week, we were all able to powerfully and memorably experience Israel and strengthen our understanding of, and connection to, both the land and the State of Israel. Reflections compiled by Rabbi Shira Wallach
Karina Zilberman’s visit to Dallas sparked important conversations. Through many different presentations of the Shababa Approach, she helped us think about how we can embrace and celebrate the wonder and connection in each moment. In the March edition of the Shofar, you’ll see several reflections of the weekend; here is a taste! Enjoy and Shabbat shalom. ![]() By Rabbi Adam Roffman Last Shabbat morning, we welcomed seventeen beautiful souls into our Shearith Israel family at our Tiny Treasures ceremony. It was an interesting coincidence that on the morning we celebrated and welcomed the newest children of our community, we also read the commandment to honor our parents. As a parent myself, this strikes me as an interesting tension. Quite often, when I honor my daughter, I find myself having to do things that under other circumstances would not bring me honor at all. There’s very little kavod in changing diapers, or in paying tuition bills, or in my case, pretending to be Cookie Monster so that I can gobble up sweets to ensure that if someone is going to overdose on sugar, it’s going to me and not my daughter. ![]() Sermon—Parashat Bo 5778/January 20, 2018 A Tribute to Rabbi Leonard Cahan, z”l By Rabbi Ari Sunshine In this morning’s parasha we get a heavy dose of Pesach—would you believe it’s only 10 weeks away now?—including a description of the first Pesach in Egypt, as well as the instructions for an annual celebration in perpetuity. And, speaking of Pesach, we also find in this parasha three of the four questions that make their way into the Haggadah as the questions of the four sons, or four children, four different types of individuals and learners reacting in their own way to the Seder—and Exodus—experience. ![]() by Marcy Helfand I want to encourage you to attend the Women’s Shabbat (which, by the way, is not just for women) on Friday, January 26. If you’ve seen the announcement in the Congregation Shearith Israel eblast or the SISterhood eblast, you know that the title is “Judaism is Calling: From Rotary Phones to iPhones, Let’s Talk.” I am going to confess that the first phones I used were, in fact, rotary phones. It was an exciting day when we got the “high tech” push button phones although they were still tethered to the wall. If you want to roll your eyes further, I experienced many years of rolling down car windows MANUALLY. ![]() by Rabbi Ari Sunshine Tonight begins the 18th of the month of Tevet in the Jewish calendar, which happens to mark the 45th yahrzeit of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, z”l, one of the great theologians of modern Jewish history. Heschel was trained as a scholar in Germany and raised in a Chasidic environment in Warsaw and once seemed destined to become a Chasidic rebbe in Poland. His life ultimately took a different path and he became a renowned professor at JTS (the Jewish Theological Seminary) for over 25 years. Heschel’s piety was grounded in his Jewish experience and life, but also led him to conclude that religious life and faith is a fundamental human impulse, not exclusively a Jewish one, and moreover that no one religion could claim a monopoly on religious truth. ![]() by Gail Mizrahi As the immediate Past President of Congregation Shearith Israel in Dallas, I realized an opportunity for our multi-generational community to intermingle and enjoy each other’s company. By learning something challenging and unpredictable together, what better idea was there to reach across the generations than with the game of Mah Jongg…right? I kept hearing that people were interested in learning how to play with their friends, husbands, or significant others. So I began thinking about how many of us learned to play the game as a youngster by watching our mothers and grandmothers play in their weekly game? I had previously taught Mah Jongg at a Senior Community in Plano where my father had once resided…and 14 years later, that group of women still play in their Friday afternoon game. So I decided to try teaching here at my synagogue so the young and the young at heart could feel the same fun and excitement I still have after playing for 26 years. The response was phenomenal! I was hoping for 20 people to sign up…but after only several weeks of advertising among the community, I had to cut off enrollment at 52…plus we had a waiting list of 18 more! |
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