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
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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
*Celebrate* Passover & Count the Omer as Acts of Resistance
(Image: Drawing of footprints leading to legs covered in stars taking a step into a vibrant red, orange, pink, and yellow circle of light with a rainstorm in the center and sun in the upper right corner. From the author’s 5783 Omer journal.) I’m writing a lot of quotes and affirmations on post-it notes these Read More
Finding Our People Across Time and Space
Preamble: I started writing this post in November 2024, in the wake of an election that’s left many of us feeling fearful about the future. I intended it to be an alternate narrative for the times. I am finishing it in February 2025 when many of our fears are coming to fruition. While the daily Read More
You Gotta Wake Up.
Ten days ago, I had the honor of leading our Kabbalat Shabbat service at the start of Elul, the current and final month of the year in the Jewish calendar. It’s been three or four years since I started serving as a lay leader in the kehilah, a role I never imagined I would take 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
Holding Space for Deep Conversations on Israel/Palestine
Nothing about the ongoing conflict in Israel/Palestine or the historic and political context that gave rise to it is pleasant or easy to address. According to my daily email from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, today is day 97. 97 days of this news cycle that has taken so many twists and turns – here at Read More
SPECIAL EVENT: Deepening Our Conversations on Israel & Palestine
Since October 7, it’s gotten harder and harder to have civil conversations about Israel & Palestine with people who don’t share our views. For some Jews the issues of the day are black and white, for many others they are a rainbow of grays. Either way, you’ve likely felt uncomfortable at some time since this Read More