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D’var Torah: Questioning and Moral Certainty

Posted on January 12, 2024

This is my D’var Torah for Shabbat, Parashat Va-era, January 13, 2024. In August we went down to New York for the simchat bat celebration for our newest grandniece, and when we were hanging out with the family afterward at the synagogue, my daughter Lela was playing with R. and P., and she offered to Continue Reading »

How To Be President: U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips

Posted on January 11, 2024

Here is the video recording of our conversation on January 8, 2024 with Dean Phillips, U.S. Representative from Minnesota’s Third District and Candidate for the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States. Rabbi Jon, Rev. Allison Palm of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua, and Rev. Michael Reinke of Church of Our Savior (Episcopal) Continue Reading »

Why Exodus Is the Most Important Book of All Time

Posted on January 10, 2024

I gave this D’var Torah at Beth Abraham on Shabbat morning, Saturday, January 6, 2018. I’m reposting it right after we began reading the book of Shmot/Exodus in our annual cycle again. Watch, listen, or read! Today we begin reading the most important book in human history — Sefer Shmot, the book of Exodus. This is Continue Reading »

D’var Torah: Dreaming In These Times

Posted on December 15, 2023

This is the D’var Torah I plan to share at Shabbat morning services on December 16, 2023 for Parashat Miketz. It’s related to this one I gave in late 2020, when we could begin to think about reality after Covid vaccines.  I want to start by misquoting someone, specifically Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, on the subject Continue Reading »

An Evening of Debbie Friedman Songs Performed by Arielle Kaplan

Posted on December 6, 2023

On Saturday, December 2, 2023, the TBA and greater Nashua community came together to bring in Havdalah over appetizers and desserts and listened to Arielle Kaplan sing Debbie Friedman songs. The evening was truly lovely, inspirational and soulful. We had a special treat when Arielle invited her father, Dr. Alan Kaplan up to sing with Continue Reading »

Purim is Coming! Click Here for Information and Resources

Posted on November 21, 2023

Purim is Coming! Click Here for Information and Resources

Marching for Israel in Washington This Week

Posted on November 16, 2023

I‘m posting this on Thursday afternoon but will be replacing it soon with a longer report and reflections — Rabbi Jon On Tuesday I was one of 20 or so Jews from Southern New Hampshire who traveled to Washington for the March for Israel. I’m not usually a rally person like this, and I am Continue Reading »

Praying Like Avraham

Posted on November 10, 2023

This is the D’var Torah shared by Liz Macedo, co-leader of the ReNewYear service on Rosh Hashanah. The reading it’s about was also the Torah reading for last week. “Should I hide from Abraham what I am doing?” is the rhetorical question God asks in this parsha. The implication is that God has both already Continue Reading »

Seven Years Old, Twenty Years Old, One Hundred Years Old

Posted on November 10, 2023

This is my Friday draft of a D’var Torah for Parashat Chayei Sarah 5784. One of the weekly Divrei Torah that are always worth a look comes from Rabbi Josh Feigelson, leader of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. This week Josh started by talking about the idea of the “multiverse”, which he first learned about Continue Reading »

Fall 2023 Library Update

Posted on October 30, 2023

By Ellie Schwartz, Volunteer Librarian In this blog, I’m highlighting a few of the new titles in the Levine Library at Temple Beth Abraham, describing the locations in the library of fiction and nonfiction about Israel, and explaining how you can borrow books. Please read on! New Books Simple Gimpl: The Definitive Bilingual Edition by Continue Reading »