How are your preparations for Passover going? Have you seen our new Family Haggadah? In this cheery, spooky new song, the animated plagues come after Cantors Mira Davis, Sydney Lazar and myself. Oy! Wishing you a sweet and plague-free Passover.

Through the whimsical imagination of childhood, think what it must be like to be a latke, one of the foods made with oil that attend the Festival of Lights.

In these troubling times we look to that which we share with other ancient traditions to remind us that we have the strength within us to navigate our fears. With the holidays behind us, we may feel excitement about the start of a new year, but also fear of the unknown it brings. “May we not pray to

Lighting the Hanukkah candles with my children is one of my favorite traditions. Tonight as we enter the festival of lights, wishing you all many blessings, health, joy and love. Happy Hanukkah!

When Sophie Tucker began singing this song written by Yellen & Pollack in 1925, the Jewish experience in America had included many mothers dealing with privations to care for their families, all the while passing down values that their tradition holds dear. Whether or not you have a “Yiddishe Momme”

For all of you “Hamilton” fans out there, get excited. Because one cantor, Azi Schwartz, sung “Adon Olam” to the tune of “You’ll Be Back” from the hit musical to his congregation at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City on October 22, 2016.

Thank you Ray Chew and Vivian Chew for joining us for Shabbat last Friday and closing our service with these poignant words and music, helping us understand how our brothers and sisters from the African American community feel. May we all be a bridge over troubled waters.

I hope that this Adon Olam, composed by Cantor Pinchas Minkowsky (1859-1924) of the Brodsky Synagogue in Odessa inspires your prayers and actions for peace in Ukraine. Praying for the safety of the Ukrainian people and wishing you a Shabbat Shalom.

The first Yahrzeit (anniversary of the passing) of Leonard Cohen, one of the greatest Jewish poet-songwriters of the 20th century, will be observed on November 7th 2017. As a tribute to his legacy, here is one of his most famous songs, Hallelujah, with the Hebrew lyrics of Psalm 150 which is recite...

This Sunday our community will observe Tisha B'av and turn our attention to the city of Jerusalem, mourning the destruction of its temples some two millenniums ago. Here is the most famous love song to Jerusalem, my hometown, sung with my amazing colleagues Cantors Netanel Herstik and Yaakov Lemmer ...