Rabbis' Study Feed

A Letter To The Temple

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:25:23 -0500

Dear Members of Temple B’nai Shalom,

I wanted to write regarding the letter you received concerning my tenure at TBS. I want to let you know what a privilege it has been to be your rabbi. I am honored that you have allowed me to be part of your Jewish journey, and I am so very grateful to have been a part of this AMAZING Jewish community.

From the moment I entered the doors, you welcomed me with open arms. You shared your lives with...

Author: Rabbi Nyer

The Ten Commandments

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:15:41 -0500

Shabbat Shalom,

What do you think of when you see the words THE TEN COMMANDMENTS? The older generation sees Charlton Heston holding them on Cecil B. DeMille's Mount Sinai. Legend has it that I was born after the viewing of the film in the movies. It has always connected me to this week's Torah portion in a special way.

For some people, the commandments are a source of choice rather than command. God, Shabbat, and certain moral...

Author: Rabbi Perlin

Invocation for the Virginia Senate

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:58:47 -0500

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Creator of All, be with those whom we have chosen to lead us, as they come into this chamber to do the work of the people of this Great Commonwealth. Help them to strive to establish justice and opportunity for all who dwell in this birthplace of American patriotism and religious tolerance. Offer your strength and wisdom as they struggle to serve with integrity and humility.

Source of Justice, bless our Commonwealth and all of its...

Author: Rabbi Perlin

What Keeps Us Faithful Jews?

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:59:24 -0500

Adult Ed Shabbat 1/27/12, by Rabbi Amy R. Perlin, D.D.

When our Adult Education Committee decided that this year’s offerings would fall under the title: A Year of Jewish Questions: What’s Yours?

I received a list of questions that people wanted answered during the sermons this year. Tonight’s question: What keeps us faithful Jews? was one of them.

When I first...

Author: Rabbi Perlin

A Kind and Generous and Loving Heart: The Gift that Keeps on Giving (January KOL)

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:37:37 -0500

I have always said that we have some of the best kids in the world attending our religious school. I am constantly impressed by their kindness and generosity, their general concern for our world and their desire to help repair it. But every so often we have a student who goes so above and beyond that there is nothing we can do but sit back and be inspired. Shayna, one of our sixth graders, is such a student. In her own words below she will tell you about the...

Author: Rabbi Nyer

What is a Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund? Where do the donations go? (January KOL)

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:19:27 -0500

One of the greatest blessings we can fulfill as Jews is the act of tzedakah,giving to worthy causes consistent with our values and aspirations, as we work to bring a messianic age in our lifetime, to use classical Reform language; or as we commit to tikkun olam,to use more modern Jewish language.

I have been committed to tzedakahsince I brought my first nickel to Mrs. Tilles’s class as a little...

Author: Rabbi Perlin

Mezuzahs, Mitzvahs & Magic (December KOL)

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:45:05 -0500

Sometimes a project or a class goes just perfectly, it is everything you hoped and planned it would be, and it feels almost magical. And so it was at Post-Confirmation on November 20. Every year we receive a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, and over the years we have used it for incredible projects and improvements to our Religious School, including our Jewish movie library, our Confirmation/Post-Confirmation trip to New York, and our curriculum...

Author: Rabbi Nyer

The Menorah (December KOL)

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:41:13 -0500

The New York Jewish Museum, located on Fifth Avenue and 92^ndStreet, has the largest collection of Chanukah menorahs in the world. The theme of their permanent collection is Continuity and Change. When I visited the museum years ago, I was struck by the first room of the exhibit, which had four menorahs. The first one was a modern, silver Chanukah menorah created in 1978 by a famous silver designer by the name of L.Y. Wolpert. The second was a...

Author: Rabbi Perlin

Opening Prayer for Burke CROP Walk

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:16:03 -0500

Thank you for joining CROP walkers all over America, and for raising precious funds to help the most vulnerable and bring dignity to places of the world you will never see, but will be touched with your kindness and advocacy. We thank God for you and for your sponsors.

God of life, Creator of the Universe, you have given us this amazing planet with enough food, water, and medicine for every man, woman, and child. But, we have yet to learn how to care and share, so...

Author: Rabbi Perlin

Why Brotherhood and Sisterhood in the 21st Century?

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:14:53 -0500

I grew up in a congregation with a Sisterhood and Men’s Club. Every suburban Long Island congregation had one. Sisterhood controlled the temple kitchen and raised tens of thousands of dollars for the temple every year. The Men’s Club ushered on High Holy days, ran the Purim Carnival and was the springboard for temple presidents, who were always men. They were traditional gender-separate organizations popular in the 1950’s, 60’s and...