June 7, 2017
June 7, 2017
Dear Friends, On May 2-4, I was lucky enough to be part of a delegation of rabbis, evangelical ministers and imams that traveled to Abu Dhabi for a peace conference.
Continue readingWeekly Reflections
May 31, 2017
May 31, 2017
Dear Friends, For Jews throughout history, the ability to impose a sense of order and control in the wilderness of life is rooted in Torah. Torah is our spiritual guide.
Continue readingMay 24, 2017
May 24, 2017
Dear Friends, The ceremony of Confirmation as a Jewish life-cycle event has its roots in Reform Judaism. The ritual of Confirmation was introduced in 1810, when the Reform Movement in
Continue readingMay 17, 2017
May 17, 2017
Dear Friends, Last Sunday was Lag BaOmer, a holiday marking the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer. This relatively obscure observance in Reform Jewish circles is a fun-filled
Continue readingMay 12, 2017
May 10, 2017
Dear Friends, In our Torah portion this week, we are permitted an early glimpse of how the Bible attempts to shape the sacred nature of our lives by setting celebrations
Continue readingMay 3, 2017
May 3, 2017
Dear Friends, Yesterday was Yom HaAtzmauut (Israeli Independence Day) and in the spirit of solidarity with Jews all over the world, we honor and celebrate the centrality of the Jewish
Continue readingApril 26, 2017
April 26, 2017
Dear Friends, In this week’s Torah portion, Tazria-Metzorah, the Torah addresses a wide variety of skin diseases, providing us with a lens into an ancient world where sickness seemed incurable
Continue readingApril 19, 2017
April 19, 2017
Dear Friends, Jewish mourning practices are both private and public. Private mourning observances include rituals such as lighting a yahrzeit (memorial) candle or visiting the grave of a loved one
Continue readingApril 12, 2017
April 12, 2017
Dear Friends, For countless generations, the Passover Seder has provided us with an ongoing reminder of our responsibility to work for freedom and justice in the world. By retelling the
Continue readingApril 5, 2017
April 5, 2017
Dear Friends, Passover begins on Monday night, April 10, but Jews around the world begin preparing for Passover many weeks ahead of time. One way to prepare involves the custom
Continue readingRather hear it in person?
Rabbi Gross writes most of what is on this page, and says the rest of it on a Friday night. Everyone is welcome at a service, and you do not need to tell anyone you are coming.