Rabbis deliver “words of Torah” each Shabbat, musing and commenting on the weekly Torah portion. Here are some of the texts I’ve shared with my community.
Maidenhead Synagogue 7 November 2025 / 17 Cheshvan 5786 Abraham’s tent is often described as a model of religious life for progressive Jews, a tent of inclusivity. It is an inviting image, but it raises two serious questions. First: inclusion into...
Parashat Naso – KLS – 7 June 2025 / 11 Sivan 5785 First, I would like to thank Rabbi Lev for inviting me to his pulpit for this Shabbat, a pulpit I had the privilege to hold for seven years until last summer. Before me, Rabbi Charley, who is here...
31 May 2025 / 4 Sivan 5785 There is a profound question that emerges from our tradition, one that deserves our serious consideration this morning. In the Talmud, Eruvin 13b, our Sages engaged in a remarkable debate that lasted two and a half years....
Parashat Emor 17 May 2025 / 19 Iyyar 5785 This weekly parasha raises an important question, a question that has crossed Jewish history throughout its length: who truly belongs in a community? Or, from a different angle, in an increasingly complex...
Parashat Acharei Mot - Kedoshim - 10 May 2025 / 12 Iyyar 5785 "God spoke to Moses after the death (acharei mot) of the sons of Aaron..." (Lev. 16:1). Our weekly Torah portion begins with these words, "after the death of." There is a life after...
Erev Shabbat Vayikra – Maidenhead Synagogue 4 April 2025 / 7 Nissan 5785 The Hebrew word for “spirituality” is ruchaniut, derived from the root ruach, which means both “wind” and “spirit”. That connection reflects the deep connection that exists in...
Parashat Vayakhel Shabbat Vayakhel – 22 Adar II 5785 – March 21, 2025 The Power of Kehillah: The Beauty of Jewish Community What draws us to belong to a Jewish community? More broadly, why do we feel the need to belong anywhere at all? Each of us...
Parashat Ki Tissa15 March 2025 / 15 Adar 5785 In this week’s parasha, Ki Tissa, we meet Betzalel, the master craftsman chosen by God to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle (Mishkan)—the sacred space where God’s presence would dwell among the...
The Power of Resilience: Finding Harmony in Broken Strings Maidenhead Synagogue, Erev Rosh Hashanah 5785, 2 October 2024. I want to begin with a story, perhaps more urban myth than historical fact, but one brimming with truth. It’s a story about...