Hear Our Voice

Said sometimes with hope and more often with muted acceptance, “life goes on” is a phrase that leaves so much to be desired.  In the midst of COVID, life goes on.  In the face of cancer and treatment, life goes on.  In the wake of biting and striking political winds, life goes on.  In the face of mysterious symptoms but no obvious diagnosis, endless tests, and doctors who employ the reminder that, “it is called...Read more...

There’s a very famous teaching from Rabbi Hillel that goes like this:

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am only for myself, what am I?

And if not now, when?

The news is disturbing and frightening, the quality of our political leadership...Read more...

My dearest Shma Koleinu,

For all of its spiritual teachings, Judaism is an extremely “this-worldly-oriented” tradition.  We certainly pray for peace and contentment, but we also pray for parnassah (a good living), achalta, v’savata uverachta (you shall eat, then you shall be satisfied and then you shall offer thanks), and for a refuah shleimah (a complete and total recovery of our bodies). 

Jewish tradition...Read more...

Scene: A Random Bar

Characters: God and Moses

Setting: Moses initiates the first fundraising campaign, with God serving as Moses’ fundraising consultant:

God: Moses, you know this Tabernacle is gonna cost a few shekels.

Moses: Well, it was Your idea to make it light and portable, yet dynamic and beautiful enough to do You proud.

God: Now, don’t blame me. These people have the pyramids...Read more...

Dear Shma Koleinu,

Thank you.  Thank you 1000 times, thank you. You have made this possible.  You didn’t inherit this congregation from your parents or grandparents, or the many anonymous founders who came before.  Houston didn’t “need” another Reform congregation but you decided it needed something new.  We are not funded by a long accruing endowment or generational gravity.  We are the Mishkan, the...Read more...

The Torah portion this week, called “Toldot,” revisits the story of the seeds of sibling rivalry. This oft-repeated theme in Torah and some of the greatest literature ever written, is laid out this week in a matter of verses. First, Rebecca struggles to become pregnant and even rails against the heavens over her deep distress from being unable to bring a child into the world.  Next, we no sooner learn that she is pregnant with twins...Read more...

Monday, I introduced a new theme for 10@Noon, “Shame and Vulnerability.”  This is our third “theme” since we embarked on this venture of a 10-12 minute online gathering of those seeking some spiritual solace, and perhaps inspiration, on a weekday basis. 

We started with two of the middot, characteristics taught by our Musar tradition: “Humility,” Anavah and “Patience,” Savlanut.  One leads into the...Read more...

On Rosh Hashanah, which I know seems like eons ago, I spoke about the power of Humility. I referenced a story from the Talmud that serves as an origin tale for the prayer, Avinu Malkeinu.  The “Cliff Notes” version of the story is that Rabbi Eliezer was praying for rain and try as he did, he was unsuccessful in softening the heart of the Holy One of Blessing to bring rain to a thirsty landscape and people.  Once Rabbi Eliezer...Read more...

Rabbi Morris Joseph teaches that when faced with the passing of a loved one, we often frame it as a “loss.”  But the truth, because death is, well, 100% ubiquitous… that perhaps we should seek to reframe our loss as a “lack of the gain” we were so fortunate to have had.  That because every one of us does indeed have a “sell by” date, that is fortunately left off the “package” of our own lives, the humility of the...Read more...

Intro by Rabbi Scott

"So Holly reaches out to Susan Nerlove with an offer she couldn’t refuse (in my head, I’m hearing these words a la “The Godfather.”) 

"In the really lovely blog post that follows, written by Susan, she suggests that perhaps I might possibly weigh in on the Jewish view of the right to vote and...Read more...