Dear Friends,

Have you ever met a Chinese Imam? Join me for a unique class on February 13, and you will be enlightened by the wisdom Imam Abdur Rachman Chao brings through his teachings. Imam Chao and I have been paired up with Pastor Taylor Ince for a very special program comparing Jewish, Christian and Muslim concepts on “Original Sin.”

This program is the brainchild of our monthly multi-faith study group, which is playfully referred to as the Galleria Gang. We are a group of rabbis, imams and evangelical ministers who explore our differences and similarities by examining themes from our sacred scriptures.

In February, the Galleria Gang is holding a three-part series on the themes of creation. Our hope is to enable members of our respective communities to share the rewards that come from the kind of exploration we do together every month. Each faith is committed to bringing at least 10 members to learn from each other as we discuss our values and teachings.

This program promises to be an extremely rewarding experience. If you are interested in one or all of the classes, please RSVP to justin@hcrj.org.

Join us for Creation in Abrahamic Traditions
Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:30

February 6, 2020 | Six Days of Creation | Beth Yeshurun
How do our faith traditions inform our beliefs about living in a Created Universe. How old is the Universe and other questions about how we correlate science with Creation.

February 13, 2020 | Adam and Eve and “Original Sin”? | Church Location TBA
How do our faith traditions understand the story of Adam and Eve, eating the “forbidden fruit”? Are humans born in “original sin”? And if so, what does that mean? Was the Snake “the Devil”?

February 20, 2020 | Humanity Created in God’s Image |Turkish Center
How do our traditions interpret this concept and how does it relate to how we treat people of other faith traditions? What is the role of humanity in God’s Creation? What does God expect from humanity? What does God hope for humanity?

L’Shalom,
Steve

Dear Friends,

Sign up now for the most ambitious social event of the decade. 

Broaden your connections to the HCRJ community in a fun and exciting way at our 2020 Progressive Dinner. Journey from appetizers to dinner to dessert and meet new faces every step of the way.

Our Progressive Dinner invites you to three separate venues with great food and new opportunities to learn about your fellow congregants. The event is free; the food will be fabulous; and the journey from one home to the next will be memorable.

When:         Saturday Night, February 22
Begins:        First House for Appetizers begins at 6:00pm
Ends:           Dessert Reception at HCRJ will be the final destination

RSVP to justin@hcrj.org by Friday, January 31 so we can map out your culinary adventure.

L’Shalom,
Steve

Dear Friends,

As 2020 begins,
may it unfold a
never-ending chain
of blessings of
Prosperity, Health and Happiness
For you and your family.

Happy New Year.

L’Shalom,
Steve

Dear Friends,

Happy Chanukah! Today is the third day of Chanukah, and tonight we will light candle number four. From a religious perspective, Chanukah is often a missed opportunity for spiritual growth, as the giving and receiving of gifts can take center stage, especially with our children.

With a little effort, Chanukah can be an opportunity to celebrate the uniqueness of our faith, and when it falls during Christmas (like it does tonight), we have a beautiful way to share joy and bring light into the world in a way that compliments the Christian celebrations that surround us.

Eating latkes, spinning dreidels, lighting candles and reciting the proper blessings have long bonded us in our homes and our communities, but there is so much more to this holiday than these joyous customs. We must remember that real fight of the Maccabees was a fight against assimilation. Their fight was an aggressive attempt to eradicate a trend that had permeated Jewish society of that time – the gradual deterioration of the Jewish identity because of assimilation into Hellenist society.

When viewed through the lens of history, the celebration of Chanukah takes on many additional nuances which are important for us today. There is the nuance embedded in the historical narrative that we cherish and celebrate as we view Chanukah as a holiday celebrating liberation and religious freedom. There is the nuance which reminds us of the importance of maintaining a sense of who we are and what we value while living in a society dominated by values which may compete with our own. And there is a nuance which warns us against being too zealous in our beliefs.

Each of these nuances challenges us to understand this winter celebration in a way which is broader and more meaningful than the simple lessons taught to us in our youth. While the legend of the miracle of the oil may lift up our spirits and fill our souls during the dark months of winter, history provides us with a lens through which we may examine our present in light of the past.

Beckye joins me in wishing all of you a very Happy Chanukah!

L’Shalom,
Steve

Chanukah for HCRJ Video Message from Rabbi Gross

Cookie Wednesday Video Message from Rabbi Gross

Dear Friends,

On Rosh HaShanah, I presented us with a challenge to see and understand the world through the lens of philanthropy. I challenged us to consider ways to utilize what we have been given in ways that express our love of humankind and how we might use our talent, background, education and resources to make a difference in the world.

We all possess time, talent and treasure; we all have something to give; and we all have the capacity to love. Philanthropy (love of humanity) is a mindset that encourages us to consider how to respond to the needs of the world, and Mitzvah Day is a perfect opportunity for us to translate this mindset into action.

Mitzvah Day represents an annual opportunity to volunteer and do good works. It is also an opportunity to build a “culture of philanthropy through service” in the congregation. Through Mitzvah Day, we strive to build a community around doing good in the world, while exposing our membership to the various needs around the City of Houston. In other words, we are not just offering an annual day of charity work. We are also trying to create a shift in communal awareness.

Join us this Sunday, December 8 for our Fourteenth Annual Mitzvah Day.
Join us from 9:00 – 12:30 as we strive to build community through service.
Join us and make a difference in the lives of many.
Join us as we strive to transform the world around us, one mitzvah at a time.

L’Shalom,
Steve

As Thanksgiving approaches, I want to take a moment to publicly express my gratitude for a few things that bless my life every day.

As a rabbi: I am thankful for the boundless dedication of our membership and our lay leadership. It is because of what each of you bring to this place that makes it so special.

I am thankful that we have been blessed with such an amazing staff in the office, in our worship settings and in our religious school. Everything we do here is shaped by the love and devotion they bring to their work and to the mission of our community.

As a father: I am thankful that for the joys that come with raising four wonderful children, and for the blessings that come with striving to meet the responsibilities of fatherhood.

As a husband: I am blessed with a partner in life who shares my dreams and my values. Beckye’s boundless support is sometimes taken for granted, but I am thankful to my core for everything she does.

We all have so much for which to be thankful. As we prepare for this wonderful American Holiday, it is my hope that an abundance of good things in our lives will bless us all. 

L’Shalom,
Steve

Dear Friends,

This week’s Torah portion begins with the death a Sarah and Abraham’s quest to find an appropriate place for her burial. The place Abraham finds is a cave, which is known as the Cave of Machpelah. This cave, which becomes the family burial site for our ancestors, provides us with a window into some of the ancient burial rites of our people.

In ancient times, burial caves were a common way to honor and respect the dead. They were usually communal and provided families ways to set their loved ones to rest in a location that was shared. Excavations show that bodies were laid out in these caves, and later the bones may have been gathered together to make room for new burials.

Burial customs have evolved over time, and the traditions which we know and observe today have roots in these early biblical traditions. This Friday night, as we consider the burial rites found in this week’s Torah portion, burial customs (old and new) will be the topic of the sermon.

L’Shalom – Steve

Dear Friends,

Dear Melissa,

In this week’s Torah portion, Abraham seeks to save the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah from the wrath of God. Each of these cities have become so corrupt and evil that God wants to wipe them from the face of the earth, but as Abraham learns of their imminent destruction, he tries to bargain with God in an effort to save them. In a series of confrontational exchanges, Abraham pleads on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah. He asks God to spare these cities for the sake of the righteous, but as fate would have it, not even ten righteous individuals could be found, and the cities are destroyed.

This ancient story encourages us to stand up for justice and mercy in all circumstances. It urges us to question authority for the sake of goodness in the world. While Abraham is unable to actually find any who are worthy of God’s mercy, the mere act of standing up for justice and mercy in a broken world is something that our faith holds as a virtue.

Throughout history, societies with extremely misguided (even evil) values have come and gone. As Jews, we have been victims to these forces with disproportionate frequency, but despite their constant presence in our lives, we have remained steadfast in our resolve to follow in the footsteps of Abraham. For as dark and misguided any society has ever become, there have always been good forces, good people, righteous individuals that eventually pull their societies out of the darkness and into the light.

L’Shalom – Steve