Our writer this week is Debra Seltzer. I can think of few more qualified to speak about Yesod, the sephirah dedicated to strong foundations. Debra is one of our longest-standing members and served many years on our Board, including as its Chair. In that role and all other leadership she provides our community, Debra lends Read More
Category: Torah
Omer Offerings 5786 – Week 1: Chesed
Counting the Omer – the 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot – is a Jewish tradition that’s played out in different ways over time. For our ancient forebearers counted these days as part of an outward-facing agricultural pursuit; an omer was literally an offering of grain made in recognition that forces beyond us control the Read More
Sukkat Shalom: Our Island of Sanity
When a complex system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to shift the entire system to a higher order.” – Ilya Prigogine, Nobel Prize-winning chemist A few weeks ago I saw an article hanging on a community bulletin board titled: “Creating an Island of Sanity Read More
Stand Up, Branch Out: Living in Alignment with the Trees
This past Sunday we gathered for our 20ish annual Tu b’Shvat seder. As a community rooted in eco-Jewish exploration and action, this somewhat obscure, oft-ignored holiday* is one we’ve always taken seriously. After taking last year off to give our leadership a break, we were reminded how much this gathering serves as an anchor for Read More
Lessons from Ships Adrift at Sea
The first week of July, a series of ships floated through our Sukkat Shalom. Aboard were lessons from the past and messages for a sustainable future. The first was the MS St. Louis which set sail from Hamburg, Germany to Havana, Cuba on May 13, 1939 with over 900 passengers, most Jewish, fleeing Nazi persecution. Read More
Celebrating Small Moments of Revelation
Yesterday, we came together to celebrate Shavuot. As with many Jewish holidays, Shavuot is a holy day which has gained new meanings and interpretations over time. The ancient Hebrews marked this day (50 days after the barley reaping) as the start of the wheat harvest. In temple times, the priests tied this period with calls for Read More
Meet Ev Evnen: Our 5785 High Holiday Spiritual Leader
This year, Kehilat Sukkat Shalom is proud to welcome a cantorial intern from ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, to join us as a spiritual leader for the High Holidays. Our Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur prayer services and social gatherings are enhanced by the presence of guest leaders who bring new ideas and unique perspectives Read More
The Jew in the Lotus @ 30 Years: KSS Book Club August Selection
In 1994 I was a sophomore at a liberal arts college happily exploring new religious and philosophical landscapes in courses like Comparative Religion, German Literature, and Cultural Geography 101. After a childhood in metro New York fully immersed in Conservative Jewish legacy institutions, I was ready for this infusion of fresh ideas. That same year, Read More
A Seder Plate For Your Dog
NOTE: This post is the first offering from our part-time Communications Manager, Shelby M. Before joining our team, Shelby worked for 7 years at BARK, a monthly themed subscription of all-natural treats and toys that reaches over 1.8 million dogs (and their owners) each month. Shelby, along with many KSS members, is unapologetically, a dog-person. We Read More
Notes on Being a Moderate Jewish Leader in this Moment
– Jodi Kushins, KSS Board Chair I try not to start blog posts with excuses. I often type and then delete things like, “I’ve tried to start this post ten times.” On a typical day it would be boring and somewhat of a forgone conclusion. Writing is work – it takes time, it’s about starting Read More