Rabbi's Message

As Jews around the world prepare for Shabbat, we are also either in the midst of, or making arrangements to remove the hametz (leaven products) from our homes. Though the manual labor can be intense as we prepare our homes and our souls for Passover, it is also particularly important as I believe we are also readying our souls to experience freedom anew.  Yes, the physical cleaning is important (and daunting).  But of equal if not...Read more...

The opening verses of this week’s Torah portion, Tzav, state: “This is the Torah of the burnt-offering… The fire on the altar shall be kept burning, not to go out: the priest shall burn wood upon it each morning, each morning … A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar, not to go out,” (Leviticus 6:1, 4, 6).

Three times in six verses there is a reference to the fire burning on the altar and not going out. What is...Read more...

In this week’s Torah portion, Pekudei, the construction of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) is finally completed. We then read that Moses “took the Tablets and placed it in the Ark,” (Exodus 40:20). It is interesting to note that the word used for tablets in the verse “edut”...Read more...

Shalom from Israel!  I have been in Israel since Monday and return to Cherry Hill overnight this evening.  It has been a quick but certainly important trip to Israel, probably the most important and impactful time I have ever spent here.  I am grateful to our Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey for planning this solidarity mission and I am grateful to my TBS family, all of you, for supporting my being on the mission and...Read more...

This Saturday is not only Shabbat, but also Rosh Hodesh, as we begin the new month of Adar I. That means that in shul on Saturday morning we will sing Hallel (Psalms and songs of praise) together! One of the lines that we will chant is from Psalm 118 (verse 5): “Min ha-maietzar karati Yah, anani va-merhav Yah—from a narrow place I cried out to God, and God answered me from a place of expansiveness.” Our siddur comments: “the...Read more...

Happy Tu B’Shevat!  Yes, today is the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, which means it is the holiday of Tu B’Shevat.  Tu B’Shevat is the new year, or birthday, of the trees.  Today we celebrate the gift of nature, the beauty of our natural world, and our responsibility to protect it.  Tu B’Shevat can also be understood through the realm of metaphor.  In this light, Tu B’Shevat is not only a perfect...Read more...

Last Shabbat, we began reading the book of Shemot, Exodus.  This second book of the Torah tells the foundational story of our people; the Israelites’ journey from oppression to freedom. How appropriate to continue reading the Book of Exodus this...Read more...

What do we do when we finish a book of the Torah? We rise and call out, “hazak hazak v’nithazek be strong, be strong, and may we strengthen one another.” We will recite this line at shul this Shabbat morning as we conclude the book of Bereshit (Genesis) and prepare to turn to the book of Shemot.  How appropriate that we will say this line specifically on Hazak Shabbat where members Hazak will lead the service. I hope you will join...Read more...

Tonight, as we begin the eighth and final day of Hanukkah our Hanukiyot will be fully illuminated.  Did you know that the last day of Hanukkah has a special name in Hebrew: Zot Hanukkah?  It literally means “this is Hanukkah.” But what is the significance of this name, and in particular, the word, “zot?”

The Torah introduces the laws of Yom Kippur with these words:

“And God said to Moses: Speak to your...Read more...

Tonight begins the holiday of Hanukkah.  Last Sunday, at our Sisterhood’s Torah Fund Brunch, Rabbi Joel Seltzer referenced a halakhah of Hanukkah that caught my attention. He pointed out that normally we put our hanukkiyot , our Hanukkah...Read more...

Tuesday was a powerful day. On Tuesday, Rabbi Peltz, Rabbi Lindemann, Cantor Cohen, Alex Weinberg, and many of our community joined our 450+ person South Jersey delegation to The March for Israel in Washington DC, the largest rally of Jewish people in modern history.

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with more than 290,000 people, together we marched for our brothers and sisters in Israel. We marched for the safe return of the...Read more...

First, I want to again say thank you.  This past Sunday evening was beyond special as I was honored at TBS’ Evening of Tribute. It was truly humbling to be honored with Bonnie Friedman and Milt and Emily Gottschalk, three pillars of our TBS community who are beyond worthy of every accolade and honor.  I was also deeply touched (in case you couldn’t tell by the happy tears…) by the outpouring of love, kindness, and support from...Read more...

Our first couple of Torah portions in the book of Genesis teach us about the importance and the power of words.  God creates the world with words teaching us that we our words too can build up or tear down.  Then there is Noah.  When God tells Noah that the world will be destroyed via flood, Noah is silent. Commentators over the ages have been puzzled by Noah’s silence. But his silence is precisely the point. Nearly the...Read more...

Join us at Temple Beth Sholom on Tuesday, October 10 (Doors open at 6:30pm, program begins promptly at 7) for an Israel Solidarity Gathering with the South Jersey Jewish Community hosted by The Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey. For more information, click here.

Dear TBS Family,
 
On Kol Nidre, Rabbi Lindemann spoke about the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. He posed a question: does the future follow the...Read more...

What an incredibly meaningful, inspiring, and uplifting Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  It is so wonderful to have the whole TBS mishpaha (family) together in our sanctuary, our tent, and our classrooms, as well as on the live stream.  I hope that, over the course of the holidays you found meaning in the words of our prayers, the commentary in our mahzorim and offered from the bima, Cantor Cohen’s beautiful melodies, and Makhelat...Read more...